


In The Back Alley

by monolaytrist



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monolaytrist/pseuds/monolaytrist
Summary: A Compilation of Short Fics inspired by Backstreet Boys' songsI have ten songs. And I have sulay as an inspo. I need to gain my confidence in writing non-academic papers but writing a long fic is not one of the options; so for now I'll be writing a few without making them too long. To simply put it, ten sulay shorts inspired by another boyband's songs.The stories may be stand-alone or can be related to another, you can play connect the dots in this collection. Also, three out of ten stories are in Filipino so I apologize to those who won’t be able to understand those chapters; to those who can understand, I still hope you enjoy them.:DISCLAIMER:I just used the songs mentioned in this anthology as an inspiration; I don't claim ownership to these said songs. All credit goes to the respective owners [artist, company, songwriters].





	1. All I Have to Give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
>   
>  **Junmyeon liked dance performances and baking.**  
> 

  


Junmyeon was wiping the counter clean when the bells on the door of his small bake shop tinkled and opened to reveal his best friend who was wearing a dark green sweatshirt and black track pants combo with an untamed mop of wind-dried hair on his head. The guy smiled at him, revealing his dimples and greeted one of the customers he had become acquainted with, by the name of Ms. Lee, with a nod and a smile which caused a deeper creasing on his cheeks.

If Yixing was not Junmyeon’s best friend since they were in junior high school, Junmyeon would have been worried about the way Yixing seemed to be a textbook casanova. But Junmyeon knew that his best friend was just friendly on a highly non-selective way and much more interested in eating bread than flirting with women.

“Here’s the flaky custard bread you’ve requested,” Junmyeon announced as soon as Yixing arrived in front of him with his unfaltering bright smile. 

The guy soon picked up the bread, still warm, from the small white plate and inspected it like a kid trying to solve a rubik’s cube.

“Ah, the Myeon bread number seventy-one,” Yixing noted before taking a huge bite from it, causing the custard filling to ooze a bit and smear the side of his lips. “Damn, I am playing favourites here but really, of all the bread—”

“I bake, it is your favourite. I know Xing.” Junmyeon took a napkin from the side and wiped his best friend’s lips before throwing the used paper napkin into the bin. “You’ve said the same for all the breads I’ve baked,” he continued to say while putting the now empty plate in front of them to the sink.

“I really like your breads!” He heard Yixing say. “I am so glad you pursued your childhood dream to be a baker!”

“It’s just because you get free bread everyday from me,” Junmyeon quipped.

In his mind, he was telling Yixing that it was because Yixing liked bread a lot, that eating bread made him so happy, which made Junmyeon think that a way for a continuous source of Yixing’s happiness would be, unsurprisingly, constant bread production. And thus, by the time they graduated junior high, Junmyeon was already determined to be a baker.

He wanted to be honest about it, but doing so would only lead to a question as to why he was almost selfless for the sake of their friendship. But that was not really the case.

Junmyeon considered himself that he had always been selfish. It was because he had always loved his best friend way more than what he would normally offer for friendship. His selfishness was downright detestable if anybody would realize that he was using bread to get Yixing’s attention.

In a way it was a sort of mutual exchange between them when Yixing would bring Junmyeon to his dance performances because Junmyeon had always been fascinated with watching people dance—it was a frustration of his, by the way. Yixing was, lucky him, gifted by the muses with a body that was so good in moving along to the music that it made Junmyeon content to have his best friend around to watch.

The realization that it seemed like Junmyeon used bread as foundation to his and Yixing’s friendship was near-crippling when it first presented itself: something which started as trips to the school cafeteria to treat Yixing to free bread until Junmyeon started making the baked treats himself. Thinking so almost made him drop out of baking school, but Yixing’s gentle assurances, that he’d support Junmyeon in whichever dream he’d would like to pursue outside of baking, motivated Junmyeon instead to finish his training. And as soon as the chance to establish his own bake shop in their neighborhood presented itself [a part of the money used to buy the small space was Yixing’s savings which the guy insisted be used], Junmyeon took it and it had been two years since then. 

“Thith ith co’d—” Junmyeon was about to throw Yixing a look to be careful, but as usual, Yixing choked on his chewed food. He handed the wheezing guy before the counter with a glass of warm water and threw him a disappointed look. “earning royalties—” Yixing still continued as he drummed his fist on his chested, recovering from the sudden choking with a big intake of breath.

“I’ve been telling you, you should chew your food well before swallowing. You’re not a bird, Xing,” Junmyeon chastised.

“Oh yeah, I am scared of those,” Yixing said as if he was being sarcastic with how flat his tone was. Junmyeon knew his best friend was distracted again by the shelf because birds were one of the things Yixing could surely wail about for days.

“I’m done with breakfast,” announced Yixing in his sing-songy voice as he returned to leaning on the counter after scrutinizing the products on the fresh-picks shelf.

It was the signal for Junmyeon to leave the counter and send him off, a sort of goodbye greeting they’d picked up somewhere along the way of their friendship. Junmyeon wiped his hands on the towel by the side and moved to leave the register but Yixing just kept on staring wherever he moved that it was bothersome.

“What?” he asked as soon as he arrived in front of the counter next to Yixing.

Yixing’s gaze was glued to Junmyeon’s hands.

“How about my lunch bread?” he asked with a tone of the most sweetest kid that Junmyeon felt a bit guilty for forgetting about the usual paper bag he’d send his best friend with.

Junmyeon picked up the small paper bag at the side of the back counter and returned with it. “Xing, please eat a decent meal and not just my breads?”

“I am. But my meals are not complete without your breads.” Yixing said as he received the bag from Junmyeon and they walked towards the store front. Although his attention was on rummaging through the bag that they both knew was only filled with Myeon bread number 71, Junmyeon’s narrowed gaze didn’t escape Yixing.

“I swear Myeon, I am eating something else aside from your breads! I’ll send you pictures later!” he defended with rounded eyes and pouty face, opening and holding the door for them.

“Fine. I’ve included some extras you can share with your friends,” Junmyeon said, though he knew that Yixing sometimes had the habit of eating the bread for himself to the point of severe indigestion if he really liked it.

“You’re still the bestestestest out of all of them,” Yixing assured him.

A wide grin was withheld from Junmyeon’s face as he pinched the back of his hand as he held it away from Yixing. “What can I do, really?” he nonchalantly asked. 

Yixing shrugged. “Be proud, I guess,” he soon suggested, the hesitation on his face clearing up as Junmyeon finally let out his smile and flicked Yixing’s forehead with a simple ‘Sure.’

“Anyway, if I am able to leave early from practice, do you want to catch a movie with me?” Yixing asked as he went hopping down the small three steps of the store front.

“Do I get to choose the movie?”

“Of course I get to choose! I am going to pay for us anyway.” Yixing pouted.

Junmyeon used his most effective thinking face in front of Yixing and made an offer. “I get to choose because I’m going to make your favourite,” he told his best friend.

Yixing head tilted a bit, as if not knowing what Junmyeon was talking about. “Which one?” he asked. But Junmyeon knew they both knew with the way Yixing’s lips was too pursed and his dimples were showing for a threatening smile.

“You know what I’m talking about, Xing,” Junmyeon said, doing his hardest for his tone not to falter with the way Yixing’s irises were trembling in his eyes. It was so funny Junmyeon knew his layered strawberry shortcake was already moonwalking and belting out ‘Yiihiii!’ in his best friend’s highly active imagination

“ _The_ favourite,” Junmyeon repeated and he knew sweet victory was his when Yixing’s eyes rounded and was close to sparkling with whatever the shortcake of his imagination was doing.

“Deal,” Yixing nodded, going up the steps in a stride and surprising Junmyeon with a hug which lasted longer than usual. Like, six seconds longer with some side-to-side swaying involved because Junmyeon was counting. They weren’t really big on skinship so any touch Yixing initiated was something Junmyeon always felt conscious about.

“Anyway, I’m off now. I’ll make sure to do my best!” Yixing announced as he jumped off the steps and started on his way.

“Go get them, tiger!” Junmyeon bade after him.

“I visit you first thing in the morning to have clear days, dragon,” returned Yixing louder than his usual voice. Junmyeon watched as Yixing’s back became smaller, his small skips on his steps making his fluffy hair bounce. Junmyeon smiled at the view.

Before turning on the corner, Yixing turned back and shouted, “Please make it clearer today!”

“I can only make breads, Xing!” he joked back, earning a chuckle from Yixing who wildly waved his hands and thanked Junmyeon for the breads until he continued on his way and disappeared.

Junmyeon could only celebrate in the littlest way possible with how good his morning started with the way his grin didn’t falter when he returned to the kitchen and left his shop assistant, a newly admitted student in the university nearby by the name of Jaemin, to man the cashier.

 

As soon as he put a new batch of bread into the oven, he briefly left his kitchen and headed to stand next to Jaemin behind the counter to help out with the payment and orders.

“She’s gone?” was the first question off his list as he bagged the pack of dinner rolls Mrs. Choi bought.

Jaemin only smiled and passed it off as a greeting to Mrs. Choi who received her purchase from Junmyeon and the younger turned to look at him as soon as the shop became peaceful again with only the two of them and Grandpa Im at the corner table enjoying his cup of coffee and croissant.

“Ms. Lee looked like she was ready to flip the table earlier while watching you and Yixing-hyung,” Jaemin said and Junmyeon internally shook his fist in the air for victory. 

Ms. Lee was one of those student regulars who patronized the shop because of Yixing’s presence. Junmyeon was partly thankful that Yixing’s charisma was contributing to his shop’s sales but it would get troublesome when Junmyeon was getting green-eyed when he had no right to be.

“I felt it,” Junmyeon noted. Ms. Lee’s usual blank gaze was smoldering the least when he glanced her way earlier. “She’s relentless, though,” he said, commending the woman’s constant visit way past the expected time she could stand Junmyeon’s deliberate but simple attempts at having most of Yixing’s attention during his visits.

“Boss, you can do it!” Jaemin cheered as another customer entered their shop and they were both back to their respective tasks in the shop.


	2. Drowning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
>  
> 
> **Of all the people to fall in love with, Yixing fell hard on an anon online gamer named [Shouhu].**
> 
>   
> 

Jongdae lent him his dark grey bonnet and upon wearing it, Baekhyun called him ‘cute.’ Minseok who was usually just observing silently on the side and giving sound advice even cheered for him. But when Yixing entered the bookstore, all the little amount of courage he brought with him seemed to have drained on the way from the small hole on the heel of his left sock. His well-rehearsed greeting was also forgotten the moment he approached the cashier and saw the person he had been looking for for months up close.

Shouhu’s handler, Kim Junmyeon, was really good looking, just like the person Yixing had imagined to be back when they were constantly talking in the game chat. At first, Yixing was imagining a petite girl just like the user’s dancer character but eventually it became a person who was more like Junmyeon and less of being Shouhu. Yixing came at the point that even if Junmyeon would turn out to be an evil talking rabbit a mad scientist had experimented on in real life, he’d still try to be friends with the entity.

He was also quite honest with his feelings, so when he knew he really liked Junmyeon, he didn’t think twice confessing. This didn’t turn out okay, as Shouhu rejected him and suddenly deactivated his account. This greatly worried him, and took the responsibility for the user’s sudden disappearance. The other three members of their small group in the MMO were sought, giving Yixing a chance to also meet the real people behind the characters—the female Berserker turned out to be Byun Baekhyun, a pro-gamer who had represented South Korea in global game tournaments; the female spy was Kim Minseok, a national university instructor in Literature; and the female archer was Kim Jongdae, a tech start-up owner and was the two guys’ college classmate; the three had known each other for a long time while Yixing and Shouhu joined their little band through the game just a few months back. Yixing could not have found out how to reach Shouhu faster if not for them. And he could not have been talked into showing himself to Junmyeon if not for the trio.

But like most of the things for Yixing, the bookstore plan did not turn out well. He was too nervous, too tongue-tied, that the best he could do was hand the book he was buying, without his hands trembling luckily, to Kim Junmyeon. When the guy smiled at him without any hint of recognition, Yixing immediately exited the shop, crossed the street and buried his head in his arms on the table where the friendly trio was waiting for any news. 

He could imagine Kim Junmyeon’s smile wouldn’t be as kind if he knew who Yixing was—Yixing was relieved, but at the same time, it hurt him to witness that the guy he had been talking to for months had seemed to have easily forgotten him. The sadness mixed with the trio’s worry and eventual disappointment due to Yixing’s cowardice were overwhelming that Yixing was soon silently crying in his small, dark slump on the table.

“What happened?” Minseok gently nudged him.

“I got so scared when he didn’t recognize me, hyung.”

Sputtering and frustrated whines came from both Baekhyun and Jongdae after hearing that. Yixing heard how Minseok told the two to cool their heads off by ordering cold coffee and handed them his card when Baekhyun asked for it. He took the momentary silence as a chance to sob his heart out in his arms while Minseok did his best in soothing Yixing’s back.

After awhile, he had calmed down but Minseok’s soothing on his back turned into hurried taps.

“A crybaby for another crybaby. I should be documenting how pathetic you two are but I’m a better friend than that kind of person so you two should talk,” Baekhyun said.

Yixing finally looked up and almost immediately hid his head back down in his folded arms when one of the faces he saw was none other than Kim Junmyeon’s. He could not believe Baekhyun and Jongdae pulled the guy away from his work just so they could see each other like this. Kim Junmyeon looked terrified for his life—which was not a surprise because who would like to be dragged somewhere by two strangers, right?

He was about to tell Baekhyun to return Kim Junmyeon to his work and apologize for the behaviour but Baekhyun soon announced they should introduce themselves to each other properly, while Minseok left Yixing’s side to go with them in the next table. Yixing was close to pulling on the older’s arm to stay but he could only beg by staring and that was left ignored by the three.

Kim Junmyeon was deposited into the seat across him and they were left to gawk at each other. Or at least try to hold a few seconds of each other’s gazes because that was the most they could do.

When too much of the time was spent maintaining their silence and had made everything more awkward, Yixing thought it best to initiate.

“I’m Zhang Yixing. I’m also xlayzh… I guess you weren’t expecting... this,” he said towards the guy who was soon shaking his head.

“I knew it was you the moment I saw you inside the store,” Junmyeon admitted, the truth making Yixing’s puffy eyes round. “I just had to pretend I did not recognize you because I am Kim Junmyeon. And I know I am not the Shouhu you were expecting.”

“You turned out better than the Shouhu I was expecting!—I hope that didn’t sound so creepy,” Yixing said, his cheeks warm from the sudden confession in the form of word vomit. “And I don’t regret liking a person like you. I won’t ever.”

Kim Junmyeon took in a deep breath and the gaze which settled on Yixing was a determined one. Whatever he could say was important and Yixing met the gaze with the same resolve to listen.


	3. ‘Di Ko Kailanman Babasagin Trip ng Puso Mo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> **Usapang one-night tsupa, spicy condom at pagkakaibigan(?). 'Di rin sigurado si Yixing.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **This chapter is in Filipino**   
> 

  


“Bakit ang haba ng nguso nito?” hirit ni Jongin matapos tabihan si Yixing sa maliit na mesa. Tambay sila ngayon ng gilid ng lib kasi nagyaya ng Chicks Rules si Sehun tapos gusto naman ni Jongin ng carbonara at shake sa kabila.

Gusto lang ni Yixing na lamunin siya ng lupa para sa tanghalian. Hindi niya ginalaw yung backpack niya mula sa mesa na ginawa niyang unan para sa kaniyang ulo. Ni hindi siya umusog noong tumabi yung kaibigan, bagay na muntikan nang ikalaglag ni Jongin sa upuan at nagawa pa ring tawanan ni Yixing.

“Iyan ang nguso ng pagsisisi gawa ng pagpapabayo,” sagot ni Sehun para sa nagtanong. Abala siya sa pagtuhog ng Nori-BBQ flavoured chicks and fries niya sa tapat at maamoy lang ni Yixing nang kaunti ang kinakain ng isa ay naduduwal na ito.

“Huwa—Sinong naka-jackpot? Pumayag yung pride mo magpabayo? Kanino?” tanong ni Jongin. Ayaw sagutin ni Yixing ang tanong kaya umiwas siya ng tingin pero alam niyang nagngungusuan ng sagutan yung dalawa niyang kaibigan sa lakas ng tawa ni Jongin kalaunan. “Taena? Iyon? Tinamaan ka dun?”

“Pota I don’t deserve this,” angil ni Yixing sabay higpit ng akap niya sa bag para mabaon ulo niya sa braso niya.

“Pero seryoso, si Junmyeon Kim?”

Oo, si Junmyeon Kim na nuknukan ng GC at sing-straight ng stick sa nilagang sweet corn ni Ka’ Rodney sa Vinzons. Katabi niya sa upuan sa LIS 10 bilang pareho silang desperado sa tatlong units ng MST para maka-graduate. Magkatabi rin buildings ng departments nila. Amoy high-end shop ng damit sa Trinoma. Matalino. Gwapo.

“Taga-san yun ulit? Ay naalala ko na! Junjun Kim ng Psych!”

“Tawirin mo na lang Jongin at pakilakasan nang madamay pati ang Lagmay,” mungkahi ni Yixing sabay tingin sa mga estudyante sa paligid. Wala siyang mamukhaan na taga-Psych, buti na lang.

“SI JUNMYEON KIM—” Di na natuloy ni Jongin ang pagsigaw dahil mabilis na sinaksakan ni Sehun ang bunganga niya ng kinakain nitong manok. “Ang sarap???”

“Tangina ang tanga ng bunganga nito pano 'to nakapasa ng UPCAT,” tanong ni Sehun kay Yixing tungkol sa kasama nila.

“Di naman bunganga pinapangsagot sa UPCAT,” mabilis na banat ni Jongin sabay belat kay Sehun. Umapir na rin si Yixing sa comeback nang nilabas ng nakababata ang palad niya. Buti na lang may sariling pagkain si Jongin—isang order ng kwek-kwek—na kinakaabalahan niya kaya mabilis nabitawan ang nagbabadyang asaran. “DebSoc yun diba, kuya? Magaling ba bunganga niya?”

Natawa na lang si Yixing sa tanong at pilit na iniwasan sa isipan yung bibig ni Junmyeon Kim at yung dila nitong lasang strawberry mint. Ah, taena kanina pa siya naaasar sa sarili niya. May buong weekend siya hanggang Lunes para pag-isipan at kalimutan ang lahat—hindi na parang gago siya ngayon na namomroblema sa kay Junmyeon at nagdadala ng problema sa mga kaibigan.

“…Ang sakit ng bobo kapag nanggaling sa taga-NCPAG,” narinig ni Yixing na hirit ni Sehun nang mag-tune in na siya ulit sa kalokohan ng dalawa.

“Luh, nagsalita ang taga-LIS,” sagot ni Jongin. “Pareho lang tayong tapunan rito, taena.”

“LIS na ako mula freshie. Anong klaseng kaibigan.”

“Ako rin naman Public Ad na?!”

“At pareho kayong madedelay kapag pinagpatuloy niyo pa iyan, mga ulol. Ingay niyo,” sabi ni Yixing na ikinatahimik naman ng dalawa. “Peace na, please? Gusto ko lang ng katahimikan.”

Marahang sumandal saglit si Jongin kay Yixing nang hindi pa naglilimang segundo ang kawalan ng ingay. Naku. 

“Kumusta ang one-night stand, kuya? Mesherep ba?” tanong nito.

“Mesheket,” sabi ni Sehun sabay tawa.

“Meleke?” tuloy ni Jongin.

“Bakit ko kayo kaibigan.” Napabuntung-hininga na lang si Yixing sa dalawa.

“Kwento mo kay Jongin yung kinikwento mo kanina, kuya.”

“Tungkol sa’n?” tanong naman ng isa. “Ay pota—” Di man lang umabot si bunganga ni Jongin yung unang kwek-kwek na kanina niya pa sinusubukang tuhugin at sa halip, hinuburang itlog ng pugo ang nangyari. Na humalik sa lupa kasi di nasalo. “Sandali papaluto ko ‘tong kwek-kwek ulit buhay pa eh. Kumain ka na ba kuya?” Nakarelate si Yixing sa analogy ng pagkahulog nang di nasalo pero ‘di na siya umimik at tinitigan na lang ang nalaglag na kwek-kwek.

“Kumain na ba yan?” pagbaling ng tanong ni Jongin kay Sehun na hinindian naman ng isa.

Maya-maya pa ay may braso na naka-akbay sa likod ni Yixing kasabay ng amoy ng prinitong pagkain. “Papagulpi na ba natin, kuya?” tanong ni Jongin.

“Marami rin akong kakilala, kuya. Sabihin mo lang,” alok ni Sehun.

Inirapan na lang ni Yixing ang dalawa dahil ‘di niya kailangang manangkot ng iba sa problema niya. Saka kapag may nangyari kay Junmyeon malamang aalma yung tropang tibak noon at lalong lalala yung isyu ng mga frat sa unibersidad. Hindi sa gusto niyang saktan si Junmyeon sa pag-iisip noon. Siguro masyado pang sariwa kay Yixing yung alaala na nagising siyang mag-isa sa kwarto ng isa. Nang ang tanging pasabi ay yung paalala ng katulong sa bahay na ‘di na si Yixing ‘maihahatid pauwi ni sir Jun.’ Nagpilit ng isang ngiti si Yixing sabay, “Oks lang po. ‘Di kailangan,” doon sa nakatatanda; salamat sa Grab at ‘di niya kailangang lumabas ng exclusive subdivision ni Sir Jun na mukhang sinisanteng pool boy.

Oks lang, di kailangan, pag-uulit ni Yixing sa sarili.

“Kita mo ‘tong kwek-kwek, kuya?” Matapos tapikin si Yixing ay tinusok ni Jongin ang isa sa orange na bilog sa paper plate niya. “Ganito gagawin ko sa kaniya!”

Napanganga na lang si Yixing sa ginawa ng kaibigan samantalang nagpanggap namang naduduwal si Sehun.

“Tutusukin at kakainin mo itlog niya?” tanong ni Yixing na nagpabuga sa nginunguya ni Jongin. Buti si Sehun ang kaharap ng isa kaya yung pinakabata yung nabiktima. Di na napigilan ni Yixing ang matawa sa dalawa.

“Kadiri ka ampota,” pagtitimpi ni Sehun habang pinapahiran ng towel yung mukha.

“Mas kadiri utak niyo! Ang ibig kong sabihin ay papahirapan ko siya!”

“At kakainin pa rin itlog ni Junjun Kim sa huli,” pang-aasar ni Sehun habang nakasimangot na nag-aalcohol.

“Hindi kasi!!! Tititirisin ko lang itlog niya!” Sabay ‘yikes’ mula kina Yixing. “Pero kwek-kwek ko ‘to edi siyempre kakainin ko kasi binayaran ko!”

“Wala kang spokesperson na mag-iinterpret ng mga kadiring banat mo dito, boy,” sabi ni Sehun.

“Mga tanga lang magpapa-interpret ng mga binitawan nilang salita kasi ‘di nila mapanindigan.” Siyempre biglang may ganoong banat ang child-wonder ng NCPAG kaya may silent moment silang tatlo na nagtatanguhan lang sabay apir ng isa’t isa bilang ending. “So, anong kwento? Como estas how’s the D?” pagbabalik ni Jongin sa kanila sa naiwan at pilit na iniiwasan na usapan ni Yixing.

“Wala man lang stock ng condom yung loko napilitan silang gamitin yung niregalo mong Durex,” sabi ni Sehun, the newly appointed Yixing spokesperson.

“Yung spicy?”

“’Nu yun? Fried chicken ng McDo? Warm kasi,” sabat ni Sehun.

“Still good development, bro. Kumusta, kuya?”

“Samyang times two kapag nilabas mo na sa sistema,” mahinang sagot ni Yixing na narinig naman nang maayos ng dalawa. Sa linaw, sobrang linaw rin sa tenga ni Yixing yung matitinis nilang tawa. Siyempre sa lakas ng ingay ng dalawa malamang tinititigan na sila ng ibang estudyante na bumibili. At di na magugulat si Yixing na may mababasa siya sa Overheard tungkol sa usapang condom sa gilid ng main lib sa nalalapit na panahon.

“Samyang times two in out in out?” tanong ni Jongin.

“Sick beats into the buttho.” At may pagbibeatbox nang ginawa si Sehun na sinabayan naman ni Jongin ng kaunting sayaw.

Natatawa na lang si Yixing sa pagod na dulot ng dalawa. “Bakit ko kayo kaibigan ulit?”

“Ayaw lang naming malungkot ka, kuya.” Tinapik ulit ni Jongin likod niya at kung di lang sanay si Yixing, siguro naluwa niya na baga niya sa bigat ng kamay ng nakababata. “Mas gusto namin yung lutang version mo eh. Parang peace on earth.”

“Totoo. Hayaan mo nang iniiwasan ka nun kuya,” sabi ni Sehun. ‘Di maunawaan ni Yixing pero kanina pa may Chicks Rule yung isa at ‘di ito maubus-ubos. “Good riddance kumbaga.”

“Nak talaga ng gago ang gagong iyon. Nakatikim lang?!” bulalas ni Jongin.

“Jongin, kanina ka pa,” paalala ni Yixing.

“Sorry, kuya. Pili ka na ng shake; libre ko na nang may laman tiyan mo. Kanina pa tumutunog e, di lang marinig kasi mas malakas boses namin,” udyok ni Jongin pero ‘di natinag si Yixing na gumalaw sa kinauupuan. Parang magandang ideya na mag-cut na lang buong hapon, umuwi, at matulog.

“Akin na. Ako na ang bibili,” sabi ni Sehun na tumayo at matapos abutan ng pera ni Jongin ay iniwan saglit ang kanilang mesa.

Peak Walang Kwenta season ata para kay Yixing ngayon bilang maski pagkain ‘di niya kayang igalaw sarili niya para makakuha. Naging surprise pabigat pa siya sa mga kaibigan kung kailan isang linggo na lang, hell week na naman. Hirap ma-in love sa maling panahon at sa maling mindset. Bakit kasi pinanganak na matalino at gwapo si Junmyeon Kim at pinanganak na mahina si Yixing sa matalino at gwapo. Kaiyak.

“Shet! Pinagpapawisan mata ni baby!” Anunsyo ni Jongin na mabilis na pinulot yung bimpo ni Sehun na naiwan sa taas ng kaniyang bag at pinampunas sa luha ni Yixing. May pagtahan pa itong ginagawa na tunog nagtatawag ng pusa pero imbes na matawa, mas lalong lumakas daloy ng luha sa mata ni Yixing. Lumingon naman si Jongin para sa umalis nilang kasama at sumigaw, “HUY, HUWAG KA NANG PUMIPILI PA D’YAN MANGO OREO CHEESECAKE NA LARGE NA YAN!”

Panay pa rin ang pagpapanic ni Jongin kahit na tumahan na si Yixing at yumanig nang kaunti ang mesa sa pagbabalik ni Sehun. “Tatawagan na ba natin si teddy bear kuya?” tanong ni Jongin sabay scroll sa telepono. Si Baekhyun na bespren ni Yixing ang tinutukoy nito; taga-Diliman rin at Food Tech sa CHE. “Heto na hinahanap ko na number ni teddy bear!”

Hinablot ni Yixing ang phone ng kaibigan at nagtap ng iilang buttons sabay close. “Busy yun sa functions huwag kang gago,” paalala ni Yixing.

“DI MO KAILANGANG I-DELETE NUMBER NIYA!” sigaw ni Jongin para sa naburang data. “Ah, tawagan mo na lang yung sub!” mungkahi niya na tinirikan lang ng mata ni Sehun. Paano kasi, si sub ay si Jongdae Kim na orgmate ni Yixing sa Lirika. Mabait na RK, (feeling) close kay Yixing at halatang nagpapacute kay Sehun.

“Tanga, pinsan yun ni Junjun,” sabi ni Sehun na may halong pag-ismid. Gustong mag-analyse ni Yixing ng body language ng kaibigan pero ‘di pa kaya ng utak niya. Sa susunod. Kapag oks na siya nang kaunti. Siguro.

“Riiight. Okay, wala na akong tatawagan. Umiyak ka na lang diyan, kuya,” ani ni Jongin sa kaniya. “Papagulpi natin ‘yang Junjun na ‘yan and I assure you ‘di ko kakainin itlog niya—” At di na natapos ang sinasabi niya dahil lahat na ng tao sa paligid ang nanita ng ingay nila.

***

Kalalabas lang ni Yixing ng 124 matapos ang isang major nang mag-ring ang kaniyang cell phone. Si Sehun ang tumatawag at malamang hinahanap na siya nito matapos silang mag-usap kanina na magsasabay pauwi.

“Hello?”

“Gago bakit mo sinagot! Hayan tuloy bawas 8 pesos sa load!”

“E di baba mo na,” sabi ni Yixing.

“Sepanx, bro. Okay lang, usap na lang tayo. Kunwari jowa kita.”

“Ulol. Malapit na ako sa lobby.”

“Puntahan na ba kita d’yan, babe?”

“Hala ka.”

“Miss you.”

Malapit na siya sa lobby nang mamataan na yung isa sa mga estudyante na nasa kumpulan sa gilid ay yung taong iniiwasan niya ng buong linggo. Pasimple siyang nag-isip ng daan palibot ng lobby maiwasan lang yung kumpulan; sa dami ba naman ng tao malamang kapag ginalingan niya, ‘di siya mapapansin. Nakaisip na siya na pwede siya gumilid malapit sa photo copier tapos sa benches sa gilid, tapat ng opisina ng college sec, sa likod ng guard at, sa wakas, kalayaan!

Kulang na lang sabihin niya kay Sehun yung plano niya kung ‘di lang sinasapawan ng panay ‘babe’ ng nakababata yung linya. Sinubukan niya na ring umiwas ng tingin sa kahit kaninong bahagi ng kumpulan pero kung minamalas ba naman siya, siyempre yung pinagpalang kamalasan na.

Nakasalubong sila ng tingin ni Junmyeon kung kailan babaling na siya. Oks na sana eh, pwede naman kasing magpanggap si Yixing na wala siyang nakita, pero hetong nagsimulang humakbang si Junmyeon papunta sa direksyon niya: que horror.

“Oh shit, oh shit.” Pagagalitan si Yixing ng lola niya kung naririnig lang siya nito ngayon kasi imbes na mapadasal ay napamura. Mabilis siyang nag-about face at kumaripas pabalik sa pinanggalingan.

“Saglit lang, matatagalan ako ng kaunti,” sabi niya sa kausap sa telepono.

“Babe, sa’n ka na?”

“Detour lang ako. Andiyan na ako, payb minits! Payb minits more!”

“Gago pakibilisan na lang babe,” sagot ni Sehun na halatang nauubusan na ng pasensya.

“Binibilisan ko na ‘di mo lang alam—HALA TAENA!” bulalas ni Yixing nang biglang may umakbay sa kaniya. At tulad ng isang malik-mata, hindi ginalaw ni Yixing ang leeg niya papunta sa taong katabi. Patuloy siyang naglakad at nagpanggap na ‘di niya napindot ang end call button sa gulat. “Di kita marinig Sehun! Hala naman... Hello? Hello?”

“Hi!” bati sa kaniya ni malik mata. Pakiramdam ni Yixing nagka-stiff neck siya bigla. “Saan ka?” dugtong na tanong nito.

At hindi siya suplado, ano, siyempre sasagutin niya yung tanong. Law of universalizability ayon sa Deontological Ethics mga kapatid. “Hello J——hak” Di niya sinasadyang masamid sa tamang panahon. Hirap kasi kapag yung crush mo tinalo si Ximen ng F4 sa pormahan at maysa kampon ni Satanas sa kapogian.

“Diyan lang, sa malapit,” dagdag ni Yixing na sagot. Muntik na ring tuminis boses niya mala-Xiao Yu pero siyempre nalampasan niya na yung pagbibinata kaya hanggang kabog na lang ng dibdib na ‘di naman halata.

“Saang malapit?” tanong ni Junmyeon, habang nanatiling nakaakbay sa balikat ni Yixing.

Eh mahirap nang mapagkamalang saklay kaya mabilis na umiwas si Yixing sa akbay at nag-isang hakbang papalayo sa isa. “Sa Main Lib lang! May pagkilos kayo nitong hapon? Sayang ‘di ako makakasama. Pagtibayan niyo na lang ha? Laban! Okie, bye.”

Oks, mukhang tanga na siya na papatakbo pabalik ng lobby kasi easy way out to AS steps na sana pero mabilis si Junmyeon sa paghatak sa kaniya papabalik nang mahawakan nito ang braso niya.

“Did I do you wrong? Pansin ko iniiwasan mo ako,” sabi nito habang nag-isang hakbang siya papalapit at tinitigan si Yixing. “May problema ba tayo?”

“Wala naman!” Lalong hindi nagpatinag sa pagtitig si Junmyeon sa kaniyang mukha. Malamang ‘di rin siya papatinag sa pag-iwas kaya marahan niyang tinanggal sa pagkakahawak ng isa ang braso niya.

“Come on, Yixing. What did I do? Tungkol ba ito sa ginawa natin?”

“Yung o-one-night stand? Wala yun!” Tumawa na lamang si Yixing at pumalakpak ng dalawang beses. “Happy to serve!”

Muntik nang mapahawak si Junmyeon sa ulo niya at siyempre signal iyon kay Yixing na tanga move yung ginawa niya. “Jongin dissed me in front of my blockmates, though,” sabi ni Junmyeon sabay akbay ulit kay Yixing.

“Kailan?” tanong niya, habang pinabayaan niya na lamang na maglakad sila sa kabilang direksyon ng lobby. Doon na rin naman yung escape route ni Yixing. Totohanin niya na lang kahit nahuli siya.

“Psych 101 requirement niya. One of my group’s working on a set-up.” Napabuntung-hininga si Junmyeon. “Nung makita niya ako nagalit siya at nag-walk out. Well, of course after shouting TAE KA JUNJUN KIM!”

“‘Di ko alam na ginawa ni Jongin yun. Sorry.”

“S’fine, I’ve been feeling like total shit since you started avoiding me anyway.” Nagkibit-balikat si Junmyeon, bagay na halos kakiligan ni Yixing. “Can you at least tell me what I did wrong to you for your friends to be mad at me? Kasi sigurado akong wala akong atraso kay Jongin. Or Sehun. Kahit si Jongdae biglang ‘di na ako pinapansin… but I think it’s either he’s just trying to get Sehun’s attention or he’s just bitter I’m still magna standing while he’s only laude after his Psych 101 and Pol Sc profs gave him tres,” sabi ni Junmyeon at patuloy ang paglalakad nila. “‘Di nakakagulat na yung mga tao sa natural sciences ay bano sa social sciences...”

“I can’t relate…” sabi ni Yixing. At biglang nasa loob na sila ng 128. At men’s CR lang naman ang 128. “Bakit???”

“So?”

“So! Kinakabahan ako nang malala kasi may banta ng aking kalayaan sa pagdala mo sakin dito sa banyo.”

Isa pang buntung-hininga mula kay Junmyeon, isang tangang pag-atras mula Yixing, isang pares ng bisig magkabilaan, at nabitag si Yixing nang ganoon kadali sa harap ng sink. Kung ‘di lang kanina pa gustong mambayag ng tuhod niya siguro pwede nang maituring romantic yung puwesto nilang dalawa. Napakalma naman kahit papaano ng seryosong titig ni Junmyeon yung kagustuhan ni Yixing na puruhan bayag niya. “Please, Yixing? Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Your reason for avoiding me.”

“Anong ako—Ikaw kaya ‘tong nag-one two three sa’kin! At di ako tanga para ‘di yun makuha.”

“Whu—I am not avoiding you. It’s you who’s avoiding me?”

“Ay pota, sinungaling. Ikaw kaya nanguna!” pagtaas ng boses niya. Hirap kapag nagtitimpi madalas tapos biglang nainis kasi iba rin epekto e. Kahit siya nagulat sa sarili niya. Saka oks din palang magulat nitong si Junmyeon, mukhang bata na minali. Yung tipong bibiglain ka ng ‘I’ll prove you wrong! I’ll prove you wrong yaya!’ kaso ‘di na kayang matawa pa ni Yixing sa takbo ng lokong isip niya e kasi mas nangibabaw ang kirot na dulot ng mga nangyari.

“Alam naman nating dalawa na ako lang yung may gusto noon, di ba? Pero pakiramdam ko nagamit ako nang malala kahit pa alam ko na yun dapat. Nag-thank you ka man lang sana noong umaga para sa libreng kantot.” Medyo nanginig pa boses niya sa nabitawang salita pero tapatan niya na rin ang kawalan ng manners ng isa sa kabastusan ng kaniyang bunganga.

“Yixing, kung malibog lang talaga ako madali lang namang bumili ng tenga sa Maginhawa,” sagot ni Junmyeon. “I’m not that desperate that anybody who offers will do! At sorry about the condom, nag-expire na yung isang box ko a few days before halos di nagamit ‘yun. Obviously, I was not that prepared, but I couldn’t let the chance pass because it was you.”

‘Di na umimik si Yixing kasi kaunting udyok pa at kikiligin siya sa indirect na pag-amin ni Junmyeon na ‘di siya kapangitan kaya siya pinatulan. Medyo nadisappoint pa rin siya nang kaunti, bilang umasa siyang may kaunting katotohanan ang paghirit sa kaniya ng nanay niya ng ‘pogi’ mula pa noong bata pa siya. Siguro pasalamatan na rin na kahit papa’no '‘di siya pangit'.

“And I’m sorry for suddenly leaving you that morning. We only had sour dough as bread at alam kong favourite mo yung pan de sal for breakfast. I went out to buy some.”

“Pa’no mo nalaman—”

“Pan de sal lang lagi mong kinakain in our LIS 10 class.” At nagpatuloy ang titig ni Junmyeon sa kaniya. “Xing, gusto kita. Matagal na.”

Gustong pisilin ni Yixing yung hita niya kasi baka nananaginip lang siya kaso, ano, kinikilig na ata siya na ‘di niya maunawaan pero ‘di niya magalaw mga kamay niya kaya yung sink na lang yung pinanggigilan ng palad niya. “Aminan ba ito kasi kung oo ‘di talaga ako tagasalo pumayag lang ako kasi ikaw yun at—”

Ay shit, spontaneous momol para kay Yixing kasi ambilis makasunggab ng labi si Junmyeon. Hayok season niya rin ata, ‘di niya natignan sa kalendaryo, kaya ambilis niya ring binalikan ng dila yung dila ng isa. Ang bawat pagdiin ni Junmyeon ay sinasagot niya ng paghatak papalapit lalo sa kaniya. Sa lakas ng loob nila parehong maghalikan sa harap ng sink sa 128, sa palagay ni Yixing nabigyan nila bigla ng ibang pakahulugan yung momol sa banyong iyon.

Natigilan na lamang sila nang may naglinaw ng lalamunan habang papasok at sinandal ni Junmyeon ang ulo nito sa balikat ni Yixing. “Sorry, magpapaalam na ako the next time I do that,” mahinang sabi nito habang naghahabol ng hininga.

Binalot na lamang ni Yixing yung braso niya sa baywang ni Junmyeon at hinintay na matapos sa paghuhugas ng kamay yung estudyanteng pumasok. Nagkatitigan sila ng lalaki saglit, pero nang makatalikod na ito, mabilis na humirit si Yixing ng “Ito na yung next time,” sa kay Junmyeon at balik momol silang dalawa, talo pa ang interrupted class discussion ng mga nag-a-RTR sa seamless transition.

At tulad ng kahit anong klaseng seryosong kapusukan, naramdaman na ni Yixing yung malaking libog ni Junmyeon sa harapan niya. Idiniin niya ang sarili nang kaunti, bagay na ikinahina ng isa kaya napasandal ang ulo nito sa balikat ni Yixing ulit. “Ikaw lang ang makakagawa nito, Yixing,” bulong ni Junmyeon sa mababa nitong boses at kinailangang higpitan ni Yixing ang hawak niya sa baywang ni Junmyeon kasi kung hindi ay mababasag niya yung tiles ng sink sa gigil.

“Gusto kong mapatunayan mo ang sinasabi mo pero huwag dito.”

Ngumiti na lang si Junmyeon. “I can, and yeah, huwag dito.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nakamimiss magsulat sa Filipino. Ang iilan sa mga usapan ay hango sa mga usapan kasama ng mga kaibigan sa totoong buhay. Huwag basta-basta isiping ganito mag-usap ang karamihan sa mga taga-Diliman; pero pansin ko madalas nga yung pagmumura.


	4. I Want It That Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
>   
>  **Junmyeon wanted to be more than friends. Yixing didn't.**   
> 
> 
>   
> 

Junmyeon woke up one morning, grey strips of the sky peeking from the curtain of his hotel room. His head was pounding with dull ache and so was the rest of his body. He couldn’t feel his left arm and realized that Yixing's head was resting on it.

What happened was not a mystery nor something the both could easily brush off. It had taken Junmyeon a long time but last night, he was able to muster up his courage and seduce Yixing with a well-performed tugging of neck tie and torrid kissing. He cringed at the thought of previous actions—mainly on his art in seduction because it could barely be considered ‘art’ and the ‘seduction’ part was questionable. But Junmyeon still succeeded, seeing the man he had been pining for, for months, outside of their stifling nine-to-five set-up, naked and panting on top of him.

Yixing stirred a little, surprising Junmyeon when an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer. The sleeping guy murmured something Junmyeon did not understand but found cute, as Yixing made his head comfortable under Junmyeon’s chin. There was something almost domestic in the gesture, a thing Junmyeon internally sang praises about. He let his numbed arm wake up by wrapping it securely around Yixing’s shoulder and sighing as he allowed for the comfort to lull him back to sleep.

 

“You don’t look so well,” Yixing noted as they were having their breakfast in the hotel restaurant. They had both agreed it would be a good idea to avail of the free meal which came with their accommodation.

Junmyeon swallowed the rice and soup he was chewing and wished he could have done better to hide his jitters. He had been meaning to ask Yixing about them when they both woke up and left the bed, but everything happened so fast that the next thing Junmyeon knew, they were both leaving the elevator which dinged upon reaching the hotel lobby.

“I’m thinking about us…” Junmyeon put his spoon down to stare at Yixing across the table. “What are we now, Yixing?”

“Sorry?” Yixing halted from his chewing, an interruption Junmyeon silently apologized for.

“After what happened last night, I just thought something must have changed between us,” he said, his admission making his insides churn with both relief for laying the question down in front of Yixing and dread for what might come next.

It took a while for Yixing to think of an answer, his stare fixated blankly on Junmyeon’s face, until his lips parted for a slight gape he’d always do when he had thought of an idea during project meetings and something Junmyeon found endearing.

“Ah, about that. Nothing has changed, right?” Yixing asked, his question producing a different wave of dread mixed with embarrassment inside Junmyeon.

He shouldn’t hope too much right? But Junmyeon had to say it again to clarify. “So…friends?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to ruin a good friendship after we shared something so intimate last night.” Junmyeon watched as Yixing went back to minding his plate while he remained in the conversation, forking the scrambled eggs and bringing it to his mouth. “It shouldn’t be misunderstood as a bad experience, either. I liked how our bodies are compatible, Junmyeon. But friends don’t normally do that, right?”

Junmyeon squirmed in his seat, hoping the shame he was suddenly feeling was not apparent with the way his cheeks were heating. He pasted a grin on his face and nodded. “Yeah, I enjoyed last night as well, Yixing. But it’s best if it doesn’t happen again. Friends shouldn’t.”

He picked up his cup of coffee and took a gulp, wincing at the scalding path the hot, bitter liquid carved down his throat. The pain made his eyes water, something Yixing noticed and worriedly asked him about. “I got burned,” he reasoned, gesturing to his coffee as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

 

Yixing was soon assigned to their company’s branch in China for a project, and Junmyeon could finally breathe easy after working so hard pretending to be the friend he was supposed to be. It wasn’t good riddance, Junmyeon just wanted time away from the guy and he needed it soon.


	5. Ipakita Sa Akin Ang Kahulugan Ng Pagiging Malungkot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
> **May nais pektusan si Junmyeon dahil ang tigas ng ulo.**  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> **This chapter is in Filipino.**  
> 

Akala ni Junmyeon joke lang nang magtext si Baekhyun na may nangyari kay Yixing. Akala niya joke lang noong pagkatapos niyang magtanong ng ano ay “Sinugod si kuya sa St. L*kes” ang nakuha niyang sagot. Kilala niya si Yixing, at alam niyang magwawala iyon at ipagpipilitan na sa PGH siya i-admit kasi may discount siya doon. Natawa pa siya ng kaunti sa sarili at sa tangka ng kaibigan na lokohin siya. Akala niya lang pala ang lahat; lalo na nang si Minseok na mismo ang may inihatid na katulad na balita sa kaniya.

Nakalimutan niyang sa katahimikan at kawalan ng arte sa katawan ni Yixing, kabaligtaran yung totoong estado at kakayanan ng pamilya nito. At di na dapat nagduda si Junmyeon bakit sa mamahaling ospital inadmit yung tao. May punto rin naman si Minseok noong naikuwento niya na ayaw niyang maniwala noong una sa balita. “Makakapili ka pa ba kung kinokombulsyon ka na?” sabi ng nakatatanda habang papunta sila ng ospital. Binalikan niya na lamang ito ng “Ano nga ba ang nangyari?”

Dengue ang nangyari. Wala nga namang pinipili ang lamok—sa ekonomiya ngayon mahirap nang maging choosy. Siyempre minalas si Yixing na nakagat siya at hinaluhan pa ng katigasan ng ulo at panay “Di, wala ito. Baka stress lang. Dami kong deadlines eh,” sa sinat at pamamantal, eh di siyempre uuwi sa malala ang sitwasyon. Gusto ring magalit ni Junmyeon at pagalitan si Yixing sa sinapit, pero labas iyon sa magagawa niya bilang wala pa ring malay yung isa mula nang maisugod ito, at magdadalawang araw na.

Pero sino nga ba naman siya para magalit? Isang hamak na kaibigan. Kabarkada. Naging kaklase sa ilang electives noong college. Naka-momol sa iilang mga inuman session ng barkada at pareho silang lasing. Ka-chat paminsan-minsan. Bale halos wala. Bale… balewala ang magalit. At di naman talaga galit si Junmyeon. Mas mabuting sabihin na nag-aalala siya. Si Yixing ba naman yung usapan—yung kilalang matibay, yung inaasar na masamang damo madalas sa dami ng pagkakataong nakaiwas ito sa nakamamatay na kapahamakan, yung napanis lahat ng ‘Yixing, huwag mo gawin yan’ o ‘Yixing pakiusap mag-ingat ka’ ni Junmyeon sa kakapaalala kasi ganoon katigas ang ulo ng isa at sa huli, parang hindi tumalon ng bangin si Yixing, parang di na kamuntikang tuklawin ng ahas, parang wala lang.

Gustong magalit ni Junmyeon ngunit mas nananaig ang pag-aalala at alam niya na kapag nagising na si Yixing, ngingiti lang ito na parang wala lang. Parang di patas, sa tingin niya, pero iyon naman talaga siya. Parang wala lang.

Ngunit di parang wala lang si Yixing sa kaniya. At iyon ang dahilan bakit agad niyang kinausap ang manager sa trabaho at nag-file ng indefinite VLs. “Hanggang sa um-okay si Yixing, tita. Tulong ko na rin po,” nang mag-alala yung mama ni Yixing bakit nagpupuyat si Junmyeon sa ospital at kinailangan niyang ipaliwanag yung request niya sa trabaho. Iyon rin ang dahilan niya para maging tagapunas ng basang bimpo oras-oras, bumaba lang lagnat ni Yixing. “Kapag nagising ka ikukuwento ko sayo pa’no ka nakatalo ng poon sa dami ng pahid sa katawan mo,” biro niya matapos punasan nang isang beses ang natutulog na kaibigan. At iyon rin ang dahilan bakit lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib niya at napuno ng luha ang mga mata nang habang himbing na natutulog ay nagpumiglas si Yixing at biglang hinahapo, pangyayaring pumuno ng mga nurse at doctor sa kwarto at pumagilid kay Junmyeon na tagamasid.

Sa namamalat nitong boses, may kasabay na mga salita si Yixing sa pagpiglas, paulit-ulit na “Huwag sa leeg!” hanggang sa halos wala na itong hangin sa baga at unti-unting umepekto na ang pagpapakalma at pampakalma sa lalaki.

“It was due to the fever. But he’s stable now,” sabi ng doctor na kumausap sa kaniya, habang ang mga mata ni Junmyeon ay di iniwan ang mukha ng isa na kahit papaano ay ‘di na namumula dulot ng hika. Gising na rin si Yixing pero pinaalalahanan si Junmyeon na maaaring wala pa sa sarili ang pasyente.

Nang mapaupo na siya ulit sa gilid ng higaan ni Yixing, pansin niyang sinundan siya ng tingin ng kaibigan habang siya’y patuloy na kinakalma ang sarili dulot ng takot para sa buhay ni Yixing. Siguro panahon nang sabihin niya ang nararamdaman kapag gumaling na ito ng kaunti. “Xing—“

“Bakit ‘di ka na glow in the dark?” tanong ng kaibigan kay Junmyeon na nagpagulo lalo ng isipan niya, pero bagay na pwedeng pag-usapan sa susunod na pagkakataon na lamang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next five chapters will be posted around New Year. Hopefully I will not be convinced to go down the mountains and head to the beach during that time.
> 
> Also, thanking Janaby for proofreading the stories featured in this collection. If not for her, you would have read five chapters worth of mess.


	6. Inconsolable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
> **Yixing made a joke that went too far.**  
>   
> 

“Hyung, what was that?” Chanyeol screech-whispered in their video call following the newly-adjourned project meeting. Thank goodness Yixing recognized the pink Rilakkuma blanket usually perching on the backseat of Chanyeol’s office chair or he’d be chuckling in amusement as his younger officemate was hunkered in front of his laptop, face occupying most of the video on Yixing’s view, and surely a funny-looking position to be in, if Chanyeol were in public.

“I can’t waste my time entertaining Mr. Choi’s penchant for bringing up the topic of his beautiful daughter and marriage during official meetings,” Yixing answered, and soon nodded towards his secretary who silently brought him the lunch he requested in a paper bag.

Chanyeol wiped his big hands on his face and whined like a vocalising husky in a blatant display of frustration. Yixing kind of missed having lunch with Chanyeol and Junmyeon when he was still in Seoul. But he wouldn't trade the food he was more familiar with now that he was in China and closer to home.

“I understand that, but you did not have to embarrass Junmyeon-hyung in front of the board! That was inappropriate! And tactless of you!” the younger almost sounded wheezing with the way he tried to be subtle about his annoyance. “Junmyeon-hyung has never answered to my team’s invite to head out for lunch today and has never once left his office since he came from the meeting. He usually turns down invites if he can’t and checks on his team at this time!”

“I don’t think suggesting that I should give Junmyeon as a present to Mr. Choi was in bad taste.”

“Of course, it was in bad taste!” Chanyeol threw his hands up in the air.

“Mr. Choi couldn’t stop babbling about wanting Junmyeon as a son-in-law to the board during a very important meeting anyway. It saved everyone the time and Mr. Choi remained happy in the end,” Yixing reasoned.

“And Junmyeon-hyung wasn’t!”

“He wasn’t? Chanyeol, you understand that I’m not a parent of his and I can’t just give him away so easily like that, right?”

Chanyeol added another hand to his face and looked like he was aggressively massaging it while groaning. “You’re kidding me, right?” the younger asked.

“Of course, I was kidding when I offered Junmyeon! I am not his dad to suddenly marry him off,” Yixing said in exasperation because it was not so difficult to understand.

“Uuuurrrrgggghhhh, hyung! Open your eyes!” Chanyeol was holding the screen of his laptop now and shaking it. 

Yixing should be thankful he knew the younger was using a 2-in-1 and that the screen was detachable or else Chanyeol would be hunted by Song Qian’s team for destroying company property.

“Hyung, when will you realize? Junmyeon-hyung has always liked you and you made that stupid joke!”

“But friends should be comfortable enough to be joking around each other, right? I like him, too, that’s why I was able to joke like that.” Chanyeol face-planted on his desk upon hearing that.

“What will you do if the wedding happens because of your goading? Junmyeon-hyung’s quite notorious in doing things out of spite. And with his face earlier and how he’s suddenly unreachable from his office, I think he’s so mad at you right now,” Chanyeol groaned while his tuft of dark wavy hair was all Yixing could see from the video. “Sooooo mad,” the younger continued.

“I just have to call him now and confirm that you are wrong, then,” Yixing told Chanyeol who suddenly straightened up in his seat and nodded.

Yixing sighed as the screen closed and he was left with an open contacts window.  
  
  
  
The video call finally connected when Yixing was about to drop it, feeling worried that Junmyeon had not answered his first two attempts when Chanyeol mentioned that Junmyeon had not left his office at all.

“Junmyeon? Are you busy?” Yixing said right after it was answered. But Junmyeon only opted for the voice call option.

There was only silence on the other line, the buzzing of the centralized AC was the only sound filling it. Yixing deemed it a chance to continue, “I got worried because Chanyeol got worried when you wouldn’t answer their lunch invite. Is this about what I said during the meeting? You know I was just joking—”

“That is what I am to you, right?” Junmyeon chuckled, but rather uncharacteristically. “A joke.

“I should not be mad anymore. I should understand because we’ve agreed to be friends, right? I shouldn’t be taking this out on you right now but Yixing, what you did was insulting.

“I find this so unfair that you not only brushed my feelings aside the next morning after we had sex but went so far as to embarrass me in front of work people like that,” Junmyeon said, followed with a shaky breath. “Did I seem that desperate to you, for you to suggest that I’d like to marry Choi Jinri?”

Yixing felt like punching his face right now. He was now aware it was a dick move! But he wasn’t expecting it would turn out this way.

He was so sure that they were still friends even after that one-night stand. He had considered that Junmyeon liked him more than friends when they were tipsy and horny after that important dinner meeting in the hotel.

Although the thought soon evaded him when the next day, Junmyeon was suddenly awkward around him, but was soon back to his normal self when Yixing confirmed for them to be still friends. He was a bit disappointed upon this thought, that Junmyeon was relieved that they were still friends, but he went along with it.

Junmyeon could have been a nice date, or even a nice boyfriend, but more than those, Junmyeon was by far a great colleague and friend.

“Junmyeon, I’m sorry,” Yixing started when all he could hear was Junmyeon’s attempt to mask the staggering breaths he was taking. He didn’t want things to be like this. “Right now—Right I just can’t find anything helpful to say, considering it turns out that my joke went too far. Junmyeon, I’m really sorry.”

There was only silence on the other line, making Yixing call out Junmyeon’s name when the lull became uncomfortable.

“Apology accepted,” Junmyeon soon said after a breath, his tone quite formal that Yixing thought he was a difficult client that he had seen the other dealt with before. “And it’s weird that I still like you after everything you’ve said and done, Yixing. I want time to think about these feelings.

“It will make me a bad friend, but I want time off from our friendship. Please don’t talk to me for a while,” Junmyeon requested.

“For how long?” Yixing scrambled to ask when it felt like Junmyeon moved to end their call. “I… I can give the time and space you need but we haven’t seriously talked about the matter.”

“I don’t know Yixing,” Junmyeon’s voice sounded like an exasperated whisper. Yixing was close to pulling his hair off with how sad the other sounded.

“My break is up. I must leave the call now.

“Goodbye.”  
  
  
  
“Why, hello to you,” Sehun greeted Yixing who was pulling files from his desk and stuffing it with whatever clothes he could grab into his small suitcase.

“If I didn’t know,” the younger ventured. “I wouldn’t think you were someone who got really lucky earlier from dying in a horrific car accident due to lack of sleep.”

Yixing shrugged towards his officemate and friend while he nodded to the confirmation another person was dictating on the phone clasped to his ear.

Just around two hours back, he ran into a red light because he was too distracted after being requested to head home by his colleagues. He knew he was tired after spending the past few nights just mulling over Junmyeon’s request of non-contact and working himself too much instead of resting. The thought gnawed on his brain like a dog on its squeaky chew toy. The incessant noise kept him awake for the first few nights, but it was the same noise which lulled him to sleep while at the intersection this afternoon.

“I’ll have to be in the main branch,” he told Sehun as he zipped his suitcase close.

“You have an important meeting early in the morning,” reminded the younger as he watched Yixing double-check for the power outlets inside the house.

“I know, but this is more important,” he muttered as he tapped his pockets to make sure his wallet and his card key were with him.

“And I can send my housekeeper to clean this place tonight,” offered the younger.

“Thank you. I’ll be back tomorrow but please tell them I might be late for a bit.” Yixing tapped his pockets for his car keys, forgetting that his car was already sent back to the shop for insurance by his company.

Sehun found his listlessness amusing that the younger smirked and jingled his own car keys to call Yixing’s attention.

“Brat,” Yixing muttered as he reached for them, only for Sehun to evade his attempt and offer his chauffeur services.


	7. Incomplete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
> **Of all the people to wrong, Junmyeon wronged an anon online gamer named [xlayzh].**  
>   
> 

It was 11:54 when Junmyeon turned on his bed, his gaze falling on his desk and towards the glaring neon blue of his digital clock. The little light from outside his window had his vision map-out the shape of his closed laptop, the one which he had been avoiding for weeks. He felt the tugging from his inside to move and open it. But he soon shook his head and turned away on his bed.

It was just a laptop.

When he felt like the thing grew eyes and was staring at the back of his head, he decided to get out of bed and move the thing into his drawer.

Shouhu was dead.

Mayrainshouhuerr or simply, Shouhu, was dead for more than a month since Junmyeon decided to deactivate his account in the MMORPG. He even went at great lengths by uninstalling the game from his laptop.

Looking back at the countless sleepless nights and all the money he spent, he thought he was way happier with what he was currently having. His life only became less stressful when he could finally get a complete night’s rest with just a minor change on his gaming habit.

Sometimes he was tempted to open and re-install to check the newest game patch at least. But he was still able to avoid his laptop like plague. His phone could also be a mini-computer if he were to reason out with himself. But thank goodness he had enough self-control to not install another game which could substitute for the game he was having his withdrawals with.

It wasn’t because of the clever game design or the playability why he was having trouble. It was mainly because of the connections he had made with other players that was making it difficult for him to move on. A certain player came to mind whenever the memories of the game cropped up and bothered his thoughts.

User xlayzh [read: slayage], was only around eight months younger than Junmyeon’s account when they joined. Junmyeon, being more familiar with the game compared to the rest, easily achieved the senior status in the league where newer players tried to win his favor and asked for some advice. And although Junmyeon’s game character was a magnet for creeps—his account mayrainshouhuerr was a dancer class in the first place [an age-old real-life insecurity of his], and was using a rather revealing set of skins as compared to other classes—nobody annoyed him and piqued his interest like user xlayzh did. It was a simple, ‘Who here has that sign up special unicorn hat?’ in a speech bubble from the avatar while they were at the social area that initially caught Junmyeon’s attention.

[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: There are only a few people old enough in the game to have that  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: ooops trashed that item of mine  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: the age of unicorns has long passed  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: @xlayzh u need to pester seniors for it  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: @xlayzh I have it tho :)  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: an elder one! let’s call her aunt may  
xlayzh: @mayrainshohuerr you do not :O  
xlayzh: Ive been asking in the socials for days!  
xlayzh: @mayrainshohuerr You were always here!  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: @xlayzh maybe she thought ure a troll 4 wanting that item  
xlayzh: I just want the unicorn hat orz  
xlayzh: @mayrainshouhuerr I’m willing to trade. Please?  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: @xlayzh I’m entertaining the request for using the magic word. :)  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: @xlayzh for what tho  
xlayzh: @mayrainshouhuerr the latest dancer skin from the store  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: jsjksjskjskj  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: this user’s playing us aunt may  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: @xlayzh that skin is pricey :O  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: @mayrainshouhuerr nah ure jst stinky  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: *stingy  
xlayzh: I’m serious. I just want the unicorn hat! T^T  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: just give the necro his unicorn hat & reap the bonus  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: daddy you’re ol! lol  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: @xlayzh I can give you the unicorn bod suit for free 😊.  
xlayzh: @CBX_Xiudaddy thank you!!! :O What’s the catch? :O  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: @xlayzh Just wear something.  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: Never seen any necro before as naked as you.  
xlayzh: @CBX_Xiudaddy OK!!! Wow! Thank you!  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: @xlayzh check your inbox  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: @xlayzh Sent mine as well.  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: here’s the actual test of character @_@  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: xlayzh disappearing in 3 2 1  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: O hes back with the unicorn set! kkkk  
xlayzh: Just want to show you your great help! Thanks a lot! Bye!  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: there we go  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: …  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: r u angry now aunt may  
[eXo] mayrainshouhuerr: that necro’s legit :O  
[eXo] CBX_Xiudaddy: He sent me something too.  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: jksjksjskjskjskjskk  
[eXo] CBX_MotherB: Let’s call him back!

And that was the humble beginning of the infamous necromancer in unicorn costume named xlayzh. The user turned out to be a pretty decent gamer that CBX_MotherB even suggested to recruit him to their group, to which the other two in the CBX trio [the closeted pro-gamers] and mayrainshouhuerr agreed to. Their peculiar band composed of a berserker, a spy, an archer, a dancer, and finally a necromancer [who was the only guy character], became the weirdest but also one of the strongest teams in the game’s history.

With their constant dungeon runs and raids, it was inevitable for the members to have some sort of a game buddy who’d mostly be online the same time as they were. Xlayzh became Junmyeon’s buddy for that matter. And their conversations, which were originally just game-related, turned to more mundane affairs.

Junmyeon learned that the person behind the necromancer was around his age. Or that they both liked to read. Or that they had both dyed their hairs blond(e). Until they were sharing recommendations and even references to shows they had watched before.

They mostly had simple—or as how xlayzh worded it, ‘chill’—exchanges while the other group members were screaming in the GC about the boss they were fighting. The worst for Junmyeon to allow their interaction to escalate to was when he entertained xlayzh’s photo updates—mostly pictures of the sky, or cooked meals, and sometimes, a portion of xlayzh’s face in the camera [a result of the group’s teasing that xlayzh might be an actual girl and the person disproved it by showing a pic of him to the group].

Junmyeon should have seen it coming that the few months of constant communication would one day result to xlayzh confessing to mayrainshouhuerr. He had let it get that far but, in the end, he could not bring himself to keep on the façade that contrary to the popular assumption that Shouhu’s actual person was an old lady, Junmyeon was a boring guy in his late twenties. This, he told xlayzh right after turning the person down. He did not wait for his guilt to kick him in the ass, so he immediately resorted to deactivating his account after sending apologies to the other team members about his sudden decision.  
  
  
The buzz from his phone jolted Junmyeon back to reality as Jeongsu, the store manager, gave him instructions for the upcoming book sale. He took note of his duties and when his break from manning the cashier came, he immediately opened his phone and saw a contact and message request on KKT. ‘You ugly’ said the person’s message, and with that, Junmyeon did not hesitate to block the user and went back to work.  
  
  
Another contact and message request were received a few days later. This time, the message from the user with a Gudetama profile picture was ‘DON’T IGNORE ME! ACCEPT!’ and Junmyeon just did the opposite. He was not new to weirdos randomly messaging his account even back when he was still an active gamer.  
  
  
‘Hi, it’s me, your cousin. I hope you haven’t forgotten :)’ Junmyeon read the message he was yet to accept from a guy named Kim Minseok. He had just finished dinner and was preparing for bed when his phone notified him of the request. The guy looked presentable in his profile picture—like, ‘I’m a college professor’ kind of presentable and even though Junmyeon was sure he only had female cousins from both his parents’ sides, he considered that the person mistook him for someone else, thus accepting Kim Minseok’s request.

‘I’m sorry but I think you messaged the wrong person,’ Junmyeon replied. He thought it polite to inform the person since it was a family matter and whoever this cousin Kim Minseok was trying to contact again must be important.

‘Trust me, I didn’t. Although the cousin thing was a joke :P’

‘Who is this?’

‘Kim Minseok.’

‘I don’t remember talking to you before.’

‘It’s me, your daddy.’

Junmyeon tapped the block button faster than the person could send another message. Or worse, a dick pic. Although he thought Kim Minseok was an attractive guy, he would rather not discover that such a face could say or do something inappropriate online. He had always been aware, but the conversation with the person again reminded Junmyeon that the Internet was such a dark place.  
  
  
The lack of constant pinging and weird message requests from his phone was unnerving. It wasn’t that Junmyeon wanted them, it was just after the crazy encounters with some a week before, he was then conditioned to block more. He had been thinking how his ID was even found by these weirdos. He didn’t remember ever sharing it even on the gaming platform nor had he even done something to be hated so much—well there was one person who could be hating him, but he thought xlayzh was too nice for that.

He sighed out of disappointment as he pocketed his phone to mind the paying customer, all the while mumbling to himself about how the Internet had truly become a nasty and brutish place.

A beep from the barcode reader, a simple announcement of the needed payment, and a smile to the customer—this was the flow of Junmyeon’s work as a cashier in the bookstore. But his “That will be 〇〇 thousand Won” with a smile, faltered upon seeing the person in front of him.

The grey beanie did not do its job of taming the guy’s dark, wavy fringes, nor the glasses did much to hide the dark bags under his eyes. Junmyeon still recognized the face he had been seeing in static images sent his way before. Xlayzh in person was way cooler and softer—Junmyeon couldn’t explain the odd combination—and the guy remained oblivious as Junmyeon bagged his order with cold, trembling hands.

Junmyeon flashed a smile, a pursed, forced one, as he handed the item and the change. He was supposed to inform customers about their loyalty card, or the optional customer feedback form in exchange for a free coffee in their partner café just across the street. But thankfully, a lady come to the counter to inquire, shifting his attention seamlessly away from the customer who was unknowingly poking Junmyeon’s heart, lungs and eyeballs with a proverbial heated metal rod since the guy made himself a random customer in the bookstore.

The automatic bell greeting by the door went off at xlayzh’s exit, while the other customer was directed to the right shelf, leaving Junmyeon standing alone behind the cashier. One of the staff who had just finished arranging the stocks, carrying a box passed by, and Junmyeon was thankful it was Chaeyoung, one of his little cash register assistants in the store.

“Chaeyoung,” he called, steadying his voice to not make him sound like a pained rodent. His vision started to blur and Chaeyoung’s reddish bob cut framing her small round face was the only thing he could identify her with. “Do you mind manning the cash register for a bit?”

“Yeah, sure.” She nodded and entered Junmyeon’s area with her box. Having realized she had to bring it to the store room first, she turned but Junmyeon stopped her.

“I can bring this to the back,” he offered as he sniffed hard when the tears in his eyes threatened to fall.

“Sir, are you okay?” Her worried tone, a very unusual occurrence, forced a smile out of Junmyeon.

He immediately swiped a fallen tear away as he took the box from his co-worker. “Yes, yes, don’t worry. I’ll be back in a quarter,” Junmyeon told her.

He was nearing the door to the back area when the bell greeting by the entrance went off and a loud “WHERE IS KIM JUNMYEON?” broke the peace within their shop. When Junmyeon looked back, he was greeted by the sight of a very angry guy he was not familiar with and another who was trying to calm the former.

Chaeyoung was obviously deflated behind the counter as she asked for help with her gaze towards him. Junmyeon decided to face whatever this was, since bad could only get worse for him as dictated by some higher power. He collected himself, wiped his tears away with his sleeve and approached the two persons.

“Yes, sirs? How may I help you?” he greeted, his voice still a bit shaky but he stood his ground when he planted himself in front of the irate person and his companion. In his periphery, Chaeyoung was already buzzing Jeongsu who was on his break.

“How could you be so unaffected, huh? You ugly—Wait, are you crying?” The droopy eyed guy, whose face was red with anger, paused and leaned closer to squint at Junmyeon. “Holy shit, Jongdae, he’s crying!”

“That’s what I was telling you! You were too angry to listen!” returned the small guy with his loud, fire alarm-like, voice.

Junmyeon cleared his throat, calling the attention of the two who started to bicker, and said, “We don’t like to cause any inconvenience to our other customers. Please let me now know how I may assist you.”

“You really don’t remember us?” the once-angry guy asked him.

“I deal with customers daily, Sir, but I do remember the faces of those I’ve dealt with before. To be honest, I don’t remember yours, but if you have complaints about my service, please let me know so I may properly apologize—”

“It’s us! Team CBX! I’m MotherB and this guy’s CHildEN!” the guy announced as Junmyeon’s watery eyes rounded in surprise. “We’ve been looking for you after what you pulled off! And you were just blocking our attempts! God, so frustrating!”

“We might have breached data privacy with tracking you down, but we were just so worried,” CHildEN supplied. “Especially Xing—Xlay. He was worried it was his fault you left the game.”

“He asked for our help to find you so he could apologize. He was so nervous earlier, but you didn’t even recognize him!” MotherB, who didn’t look so much like a mother or even an aunt, said.

“I did recognize it was him,” Junmyeon admitted, triggering a fresh batch of tears in his eyes. “It’s just that I am Kim Junmyeon now. I’m no longer Shouhu.”

B’s loud clicking of tongue made him flinch and Junmyeon was readying for a long ass lecture when the guy turned to Chaeyoung, saying, “Can we borrow our friend for a while? He’ll be back soon. We just need to talk to him” and without hesitation, pulling Junmyeon by the hand and out of the street.

“My name is Kim Jongdae. He’s Byun Baekhyun,” CHildEN, then Kim Jongdae said, pointing to MotherB as he matched Junmyeon’s steps. Byun Baekhyun was still in charge of pulling Junmyeon past the pedestrian crossing and to the café. “You have the right to be informed since this can be considered a sort of abduction. But don’t worry, we won’t hurt you.”

“That’s reassuring, really,” he said as he wiped his tears.

“It’s good that I’m already used to your and Minseok-hyung’s in-game sarcasm,” Jongdae retorted with a chuckle, which effectively made Junmyeon smile.  
  
  
The café’s music turned louder as they made their way inside, the familiar barista’s face perplexed upon seeing Junmyeon being dragged around and towards the corner of the small place. A guy in coat was talking and blocking the general view of another person slumped on the table.

“Special delivery,” Byun Baekhyun announced as he pulled Junmyeon to stand next to him. The guy in coat turned to them, his face Junmyeon remembered from days back as the person who called himself ‘daddy’. Kim Minseok’s small mouth fell open and his hand from the arm wrapped around the other’s guy shoulder started patting it incessantly.

“A crybaby for another crybaby. I should be documenting how pathetic you two are but I’m a better friend than that kind of person so you two should talk,” Baekhyun announced.

The slumped person in grey beanie looked up, his eyes red and teary, his cheeks pink and tear-stained. He had this wild look when he saw Junmyeon which he soon threw on Baekhyun, on Jongdae, on Minseok and back on Junmyeon. When Kim Minseok moved to leave their booth, he was more rattled, revealing the soaked paper bag from Junmyeon’s bookstore in his arms.

“Why don’t you two be dear and properly introduce yourselves to each other, hm?” suggested Baekhyun as Minseok assured them they’ll be occupying the next table so Junmyeon and the guy could talk. Baekhyun then planted Junmyeon on the seat across and pulled his two companions away from their table.

Junmyeon readied his introduction.


	8. More Than That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> **  
> **  
> Yixing liked dancing a lot. But he liked his best friend more than that.  
>   
> 

“I’m big on regretti and it’s not spaghetti.”

Yixing should have taken Junmyeon’s shaky mumble as a signal halfway through the movie to tap the STOP button on the remote control. Instead, he pushed the PAUSE button and asked the other whether he wanted some more snacks and he could get them in the kitchen. Junmyeon nodded his head and was about to leave the couch and go with him but Yixing gestured for him to stay.

Junmyeon should not worry much for his kitchen because Yixing was capable enough to open a bag of crisps and pour the contents into the bowl, refill their straw tumblers with more orange juice, and return to the couch with the peace in the universe and especially in Junmyeon’s kitchen maintained. Except he might have put much force on pulling the bag open that almost a quarter of the crisps flew out and fell all over the counter. And his hand slipped while pouring juice that there was soon an orange puddle on the counter, too. Yixing was still able to assure his best friend that everything was under control as he cleaned the surfaces and returned to Junmyeon’s side who remained unmoved in the couch, curled under his blue, safety blanket.

“I could have died earlier if we were in that movie,” Yixing joked as he settled the bowl of crisps on the coffee table and handed Junmyeon his tumbler. He wondered what impact to noise pollution contribution did his friends have after seeing A Quiet Place.

He only received a pursed smile from Junmyeon as he settled back into the couch and reached for the remote. The other scooted closer, as if he could fit snuggly into the small gap between the back of Yixing’s arm and the couch and stayed curled up when the movie resumed.

But Yixing could no longer take it and just a few seconds shy from the fifth minute since he pressed the PLAY button, he had to tap the PAUSE button on the remote and stare at his company.

“Myeon, you could have told me you’d just be hiding most of the movie and we could have watched something else,” Yixing said as he waited for the other to uncurl himself from the blanket and let go of his numbed arm.

“I was the one who chose it, though,” answered Junmyeon weakly as let his head out from his blanket cocoon.

“Who said we should strictly follow the theme? Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean we should marathon horror movies, too,” he reminded as he picked up the empty bowl and glasses to bring them to the kitchen. “I’d rather have you crying over Disney than crying over some grisly horror death.”

“Let’s just finish the movie, Xing. I am fine.” Junmyeon nodded as if that was reassuring enough for Yixing and took the remote from him to continue the movie.  
  
  
  
Sure enough, as how Junmyeon worded his state, the movie ended fine for them. Good nights were exchanged between them and Yixing was soon hurrying on his way home as the late-night drizzle got stronger. It took him around thirty minutes to reach his parents’ house and get into his room, and a few seconds to message his best friend before heading to the bathroom for a brisk shower.

[ _Jgh. The rain’s pouring. Hope you’re resting well! See you in the morning_ ] his message said, as he remained waiting for another ten seconds for it to be read. But Junmyeon didn’t, and Yixing supposed the other was already resting.

He contemplated taking a warm soak in the tub, but he remembered the scene from the movie and the possibility that he’d be soaking in his own piss if something as unfortunate as a power interruption were to happen while he was in the bathtub. It wasn’t that he was pretending he was unaffected while with Junmyeon, but the fear experienced when watching a scary movie with another person was a different level of fear when you were left all alone in the bathroom in the dead hours of the night. Not to mention that it was raining hard and that no matter how much Yixing would be screaming, not even his parents would probably hear him.

Yixing let his thoughts drift to the memory of the last time he and Junmyeon watched a horror movie prior to the one they just had. The memory of he and Junmyeon fighting to turn off the light in the room following the movie during a sleepover had them both crying then, and Yixing laughing at the memory now.

They were both fine when A Quiet Place ended earlier. Maybe it came with age. And what used to scare them as kids could no longer scare them as adults at all. Content with that realization, his brief shower ended as he hurriedly dried himself and wore his pajamas.

He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when his phone let out a soft ping. Of course, it was none other than his best friend acknowledging his message.

junbuns: OK! I’ll see you tomorrow!

[ _I’m surprised you’re still awake owo_ ] he replied as soon as he was done in front of the sink.

junbuns: I am baking

[ _At this hour?_ ]

junbuns: Yep!

Yixing paused before getting into his bed. Between them two, Junmyeon was the one stricter when it came to time, including the time for him to be asleep.

junbuns: I can’t sleep anyway

[ _How many cups of coffee you’ve had today?_ ]

junbuns: Only one in the morning?

[ _Makes me wonder_ ]

junbuns: About?

[ _Is it because of the movie?_ ]

junbuns: lol at this age?

junbuns: I just can’t sleep ok?

junbuns: Go rest now.

junbuns: I’ll be mad if you don’t ‘^’ Good night!

A loud clap of thunder had the dim light in Yixing’s room flickering. He immediately went out of his bed, reached for the light switch to turn it off, and padded his way back.

The rain was still heavily pouring outside his window when he briefly glanced at it, before turning to find a comfortable position. Another flash of light from the outside followed by a strong crackle of thunder pierced the darkness. Yixing was starting to doze off when his phone on his bedside table lit and buzzed.

He already decided to ignore the message, opting to turn away and return to catching Sleep once again. But his phone kept on buzzing and upon checking, Junmyeon was calling.

When he tapped to answer and was about to chastise the other, only muffled sniffles were all he could hear from the other line.

“Xing, are you still awake?” Junmyeon weakly asked.

“I was about to go to sleep,” Yixing returned, withholding a sigh as he continued, “Why?”

But the silence was only filled with hushed sobs and Yixing was soon sitting up and throwing his blanket aside to leave his bed.

“Myeon? What is happening?” he repeated, striding to the side of his room and opening his closet to grab a shirt and a coat.

“The power went out— while I am not done in the kitchen—” Junmyeon shakily answered. “And has not returned yet. And it’s so dark here— I don’t want to move. I am just— I’m scared, Xing—” Another sob and a staggered breath from Junmyeon and Yixing was soon grabbing his keys from the top of his dresser.

“I’m on my way,” he said, carefully going down the stairs to avoid waking up his parents and reaching for an umbrella from the rack. He immediately made a mental note to text his mom once he’s with Junmyeon that he went out to not worry her.

Yixing did not drop the call as he carefully crossed streets in the pouring rain under his small black umbrella. Thank goodness the store fronts on his way had their lights on, along with the aid from the streetlights.

“Myeon? You still there? I just passed the police box,” he told the other, nodding towards Officer Lee, the old policeman of the neighborhood.

“Xing, please be careful?” Junmyeon said as if begging with how shaky his voice was.

Yixing was about to reassure his best friend that he’d be fine when a beep interrupted their call, and a glaring battery empty warning flashed on his mobile screen before it turned off.

His steps could only go faster to a jog, then to outright running as he passed by the remaining row of houses towards Junmyeon’s apartment. On usual occasions, he would still try to knock and wait for an answer, but today wasn’t, and he immediately slotted the spare copy of the key that Junmyeon gave him to open the door.

“Myeon?” Yixing immediately called out upon entry. The ongoing thunderstorm outside provided him enough momentary illumination to safely navigate towards the kitchen without bumping into any furniture along the way.

A bright flash soon blinded him, followed by an inquiry so weak. “Xing?” Junmyeon asked.

Yixing was about to bend to pull Junmyeon to stand up from the kitchen floor, but the other had already decided to tackle him to a hug that left him no choice but to straighten up.

“I’m here now,” he said as he wrapped his arms around his best friend’s waist to support the other’s weight. 

Junmyeon hugged him tighter, his sobs and tears unrestrained as Yixing brought a hand to soothe his back.

“You could have told me that the movie scared you that much,” he said, waiting for Junmyeon to retort, but nothing came from the other except more tears. “You could have told me, and I could have stayed.”

A murmur of apology came from the other who was yet to calm down, leaving Yixing with no choice but to match Junmyeon’s tight hug and slowly walk themselves towards the bedroom.  
  
  
  
“Good morning,” Yixing greeted Jaemin from behind the counter as he hurried another cheery greeting towards the customer who had just entered.

“The boss finally convinced you to work for him, hyung?” Jaemin asked as he paused before the heading to the backroom to prepare.

“Nah, I decided to wait for you because Junmyeon didn’t get much sleep last night and is currently needing some nap,” he said, glancing towards the customer who was perusing the display case and had been stealing some looks herself towards the counter since she came in earlier.

“I was about to ask you to call me ‘sunbae’, hyung,” Jaemin said with a pout.

Yixing only chuckled as he watched the younger enter the backroom with his pouty expression. Thank goodness Junmyeon hired a likeable kid like Na Jaemin for the shop.

“Uhm,” a soft voiced called Yixing’s attention back to his work. He should no longer be surprised that it was none other than Ms. Lee, Junmyeon’s obvious admirer who was probably talking to him this early to ask about his best friend’s absence.

“Ms. Lee, having a good day?” Yixing plastered a smile on his face but alas, the woman only evaded his inquiring gaze and answered with a nod.

“Is Junmyeon-oppa okay?” she asked while Yixing bagged the five pieces of bread she was buying for take away.

“With the things we did last night, he’s probably tired,” he answered, internally chuckling at the blooming pink on the woman’s face.

“Yixing-oppa, truth is—!” Ms. Lee squeaked as Yixing straightened behind the counter in anticipation.

There it was, Yixing thought, The Sudden Confession; something Yixing was quite familiar with since middle school because Junmyeon was that popular and he was the best friend, the guy who was tasked to pass the message for those who was not brave enough.

Ms. Lee rummaged her bag to bring out her phone—hopefully not to ask for Junmyeon’s number because Yixing might bristle from the mere request—and almost shoved it to him.

“This—I wrote this—” Ms. Lee said, waiting for Yixing to receive the device.

The last time Yixing felt so confused was when Junmyeon put pineapple in his savory meat pie. He was sure he had never been confused about other things aside from his best friend’s creativity when it came to bread. What is this that Ms. Lee wrote? A confession? A hate post? On Naver? Yixing was scared to read to find out, but he took the phone to look at the screen anyway.

Its browser was on a web comic site and Yixing’s eyes rounded the moment he scrolled to the title page.

“And it’s gotten a lot of love and support,” Ms. Lee admitted as Yixing scrolled further, trying to make his mind register the content he was seeing. It was a comic about two guys who owned a bakery and looked just like him and Junmyeon.

“And I’ve earned a lot of money from it, but I feel so bad not letting you and Junmyeon-oppa know that I’ve been using you two as inspiration,” the woman said, following her admission with a deep bow. “I am really sorry. I hope it’s okay if I write a story like this. I really support you two. And I hope Junmyeon-oppa gets well soon.”

With another bow, Ms. Lee turned and was fast escaping to the door. Yixing called out, and eventually resorted to running after the woman. “Ms. Lee—”

“I promise I’ll bring my lawyer tomorrow for a settlement if you two want a share from this work just pleaseletgoofmyyarmbecauseIgetreallyflusteredaroundhandsomeguys!” begged the customer as Yixing immediately removed his hand on her arm.

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to scare you away,” he said. “I’m not after the money, I just noticed that you didn’t sign the copy you gave us.”

“Oh,” the woman said, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I’m so flustered I’m already crying.” She tried to smile as she accepted some tissues Yixing swiped from the nearest table.

‘To my most precious, most beautiful couple ever <3 I will love and support you always! -The Bin’ Ms. Lee signed on the flyleaf of the book with her metallic black permanent marker. “This is so unreal,” she soon admitted upon returning the copy to Yixing.

“Never in my life had I thought somebody would draw me, or Junmyeon. I’ve yet to read this but I want to let you know you draw beautifully,” he commented, colouring Ms. Lee’s cheeks with a darker shade of pink once more.

“Oppa—” A cough interrupted Ms. Lee’s imminent whine and they were soon looking towards the counter for its source.

“Why, good morning to you two,” Junmyeon greeted with a pursed smile. His hair was still a bit in disarray, probably tamed by minimal hand-combing.

“I think I need to leave now. Junmyeon-oppa seems jealous,” Ms. Lee whispered and finally made a successful escape.

“Good morning, Myeon,” he returned, but only got him a pointed glare from his best friend and an amused smile from Jaemin. Thanks to Ms. Lee’s comment, he was almost convinced Junmyeon was jealous.

But it could not be possible, right?


	9. Shape of My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
>  **Junmyeon was so mad he wanted to throw things including himself out of the window.**  
>    
> 

Junmyeon was in a meeting with his team when the rumors started going around. It pinged in his team GCs as well as in the group of his considerably closer workmates.

‘Manager Zhang is in the office’ was the gist of the rumor, something which Junmyeon ignored while the other members in the meeting were obviously invested in, typing harder than usual in front of their laptops like those actors on TV who had no idea how hackers don’t type as intensely as in real life even if the keyboard’s busted. 

He reminder himself to shine a bit of forgiveness to those unaware, though, because he recognised the fact that he was just like these people months before. So hopeful to be noticed, so very eager to please someone like Zhang Yixing—but experience taught him the hard way that a guy like that was better watched from afar than being approached.

“What is Manager Zhang’s schedule today?” Junmyeon immediately asked the concierge after adjourning his team meeting and arriving to the floor of his department. He knew his inquiry was out of the ordinary, but better be ready to evade when he was more than half-sure Yixing was indeed in the building, when accounts about the guy followed him as whispers and giggles until he arrived at his department’s floor.

“May I ask why you’d like to know, Junmyeonie?” Secretary Bae asked with a playful smile—on second glance, no, this was Joohyun, his high school senior talking to Junmyeon as evidenced by her wider, more sinister smile. If the woman was born a man and grew up as one, Junmyeon would be betting she’d beat Chanyeol in the creepiest playful smile category.

“Do you want me to schedule you a meeting with him?” the woman soon followed up when Junmyeon missed a beat in answering. Her smile remained teasing and knowing, making Junmyeon give out a subtly defensive scoff.

“If knowing can make me avoid the guy around, then you, supplying me the information, will be of great help,” he said, while the woman’s eyebrow twitched, then hiked so slowly as if it was judging the whole existence of Junmyeon’s reasoning.

“Please?” he begged, with saccharine fakeness that made Joohyun roll her eyes and throw him a glare.

“Tsk, I can’t even tease you now because you look so pathetic,” she muttered as she started typing and clicking in front of her computer with an unamused face while Junmyeon waited.

“Yixing doesn’t have any schedule posted on Cyboss for today,” she reported as her eyes scanned her screen. Junmyeon waited as Joohyun did a few more clicks and continued, “Although he has a meeting tomorrow at 8:30 at the Beijing office. Do you want me to double check?”

Junmyeon glanced at his watch and it had been almost ten minutes since he had started loitering in front of the concierge. He couldn’t waste any precious break of his anymore—but then, Joohyun was a better company than Chanyeol these days. The younger guy was blatantly motherhening him and Junmyeon could only sigh and be thankful his real mom was never like that.

“Junmyeon-hyung! I’ve been looking for you!” A booming voice called for him. There concluded Junmyeon’s 10 minutes of peace.

“What can I do for you, Chanyeol?” Junmyeon flashed the younger his congenial smile. “If it’s lunch, I’ve already asked Joohyun here whether she can go with me.”

“I have not been asked and I don’t plan to go, Junmyeon,” muttered the secretary as she barely blinked in front of her computer. “I’ve checked with Yixing’s secretary and she said her boss is currently on a half-day leave,” Joohyun continued to report, being the most reliable assistant ever while Junmyeon’s brain racked for any reason to avoid Chanyeol for lunch. 

“If you’re looking for Yixing-hyung, he has been waiting in your office,” supplied Chanyeol, his grin turned to a grimace in seconds when Junmyeon’s face became harder in the silence. “Er—surprise?”

Junmyeon balled his fists in his pockets, took a deep breath, and stormed towards his office.

“Hyung—hyung I know you’re still mad at him and you’re mad at me as an extension of him who you can’t openly be mad at—but please, hyung, just please be kind? Yixing-hyung should not really be here in the first place because—of things—but he still came here to see you so you two can talk—” Chanyeol explained but Junmyeon was hearing none of it.

He was nearing the door to his office when he had to suddenly pause and be greeted by the office doctor. Dr. Kim was about to explain, paired with Chanyeol’s yammering when Junmyeon decided he did not want to hear any excuses and he’d better face the devil that was sitting in his couch uninvited.

“Why are you here?” Junmyeon tersely asked as he distracted his emotions from exploding by going directly to his desk and tidying up his worktable from the front, effectively blocking any view of his guest.

“I wanted to see you. And I am thinking maybe we should talk,” answered Yixing, his voice even and too calm.

Junmyeon started browsing through some of the documents in the pile he collected. He even tried reading some, but nothing was registering. He was more aware with the fact that he was trying his best to contain his anger and frustration, when he just wanted to flip his table and throw the pile he had collected to Yixing’s face.

“You’re not honoring my request to stay away,” Junmyeon reminded, turning to look at his guest with the most condescending smirk he could use. “And what should I say to you? Disappointing but not surprising—”

Words failed him when he realised he was looking at Yixing’s pallid face and the dark red stain on his collar.

Yixing didn’t miss his staring as well and pointed to the stain on his shirt. “This—it’s nothing. Stitches popped while I was moving around. It’s fixed now,” he assured Junmyeon.

His angry brain tried to process what the other just said and his face must probably be looking like the math meme now. But trust Yixing to be distracting wherever he went because Junmyeon successfully returned to reality with the simple request from the guy for him to come closer.

“Why?” Junmyeon returned, annoyed by the fact that they were in his office and Yixing was not his boss.

“You won’t be able to hear what I’m going to say,” the guy answered while gesturing for Junmyeon to join him in the couch. Junmyeon refused by standing in front of his visitor instead.

“And it’s like you’re having an astral projection in front of me now. Sit,” said the guy, yanking on Junmyeon's wrist towards him.

“You don’t order me around,” Junmyeon returned, twisting his wrist away from the hold.

“I just want to see you better. Please?”

And the tired, almost begging look from Yixing effectively made Junmyeon plant his backside on the smooth surface of the wooden coffee table without further resistance.

With them on the same level to look at each other’s faces, Junmyeon finally had a good view of the gauzed part of Yixing’s forehead. 

“I got into an accident while driving to work earlier and I was lucky I only got this much,” the other explained in a forced smile, pointing to the small patch of white above his forehead that Junmyeon had been staring at. “And cliched as it is, I soon realised that I didn’t want to die with us on bad terms.

“It was you I immediately thought to call after recovering and not my mom or my grandma and it must mean a lot. But I don’t think you’d like it if I ever try to call you—not when I’m supposed to be staying away. My heart would never take it when you’d not take me seriously if you were to answer my call.

“That’s why I am here—” and Yixing suddenly switched to Chinese which Junmyeon failed to follow and understand.

“What?” Junmyeon asked, something which got the other pausing, rather confused.

“Huh?”

“The things you said in Chinese. I did not catch them.”

“I said in Chinese…?” The lost look on Yixing getting stronger by the minute. “Oh, I talked in Chinese? It’s probably the medicine Dr. Kim gave me earlier. I meant, I’m so sleepy because of it. But I just have to say these things before I fly back. I’m sorry if I sound confusing… confused?”

It took a lot of self-constraint for Junmyeon to not move from his seat and stay indifferent. Seeing a usually confident person like Yixing look so vulnerable right now was stirring some inexplicable feelings in him. He wanted his angry feelings to disappear just so he’d be less in a turmoil and more of genuine worry.

But he knew Yixing would always summon these kinds of feelings from him. The good, the bad, mostly the unwanted—and he had to keep distance to protect himself. He rested his weight on his arms, leaning a bit further to add some distance between them. “So, you were saying?” he asked.

“I was saying… I want us to talk and be okay again. I don’t want to lose you just like that,” Yixing answered, lightly nodding to himself while pressing his thumbs together on his thighs.

“I don’t really know what you want to happen between us,” Junmyeon admitted, no longer modest with his staring as his gaze mapped the features of Yixing’s face. He might catch something as a minute twitch to figure the guy out.

“What do you want to happen between us?” the guy immediately returned, catching Junmyeon’s surprised look with his steady one. “What do you want me to be in your life, Junmyeon? Because if I can see that, too, then maybe we can have that.”

Junmyeon was so tempted to quip that Yixing must be high as a kite to be saying those. The same way Yixing was inebriated when things happened between them that night. And everything will be conveniently tucked and forgotten the next day.

“It’s not what you want, and you’ve said it yourself,” he answered, deciding it was time to end the conversation by leaving the table for his comfortable office chair. Maybe he could ask Chanyeol to fetch his human just so Junmyeon would not be the bad person for asking Yixing to leave.

“I said I wanted us to be friends—”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, you have to rub it in my face, won’t you!” snapped Junmyeon. 

“I said I wanted us to be friends—”

“You say that one more time and I will fucking throw myself out of the window just so you stop!”

“Can’t you let me finish what I want to say first?” Yixing sighed, massaging the uninjured side of his face. “You have all the right to be mad at me and I understand that. I apologize for being so insensitive and I have to say it’s mainly due to my understanding that that night made you feel uncomfortable. That’s what it seemed to me during breakfast the following day and I didn’t want you to feel that way, so I clarified that I’d rather maintain the friendship.

“I said I wanted us to be friends. But I didn’t say we couldn’t be more than that.” Yixing sighed again, seemingly content with his admission. “And stop saying you’re going to throw things or yourself when you’re mad because that worries me.”

“You’re saying those things because you think those are what I want to hear,” Junmyeon pointed out.

“No. Those are the things I want you to understand.”

“You’re not even gay!”

“How sure are you about that?” Junmyeon was stunned to hear the retort and in the silence, Yixing considered himself victorious with the way a weak smile grew at the corner of his lips. “Trust me, I am serious. I’m done telling bad jokes that make you mad and make you want to throw things.”

“I can’t believe this—” Junmyeon paced as he gave his cheeks a massage. “This is—”

“An effective conflict management,” Yixing suggested versus Junmyeon’s ‘unreal’. “And I want a hug. Can I get a hug?” was the immediate question, leaving no room for Junmyeon to do anything else but nod. Yixing stood up and closed the little distance between them.

Junmyeon returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around the other and thought it was time to surrender all the regret and disappointment he had been feeling for days.

“I hope we’re fine now?” Yixing asked. Junmyeon nodded for the third time. “I would love to bring you out to dinner tonight, but my visit is sudden. I have to leave,” the other continued to say when he broke away from the hug.

“To where?” Junmyeon asked, his hands thought for himself when it remained on Yixing’s hips as if refusing to make the other move away.

“Back to China. This hasn’t been in my plan for today. But since some things happened, I just had to see you,” admitted the guy.

“Can’t you stay?” Junmyeon suggested.

“Is that what you want?”

He nodded. “You look deathly and I am worried,” Junmyeon continued as he guided Yixing back to the couch. “And take a rest for now. I’ll wake you up later if it’s time to leave.”

“Leave?” Yixing asked, as Junmyeon helped him lay down.

“Yes, you’re bringing me out to dinner,” he said, waiting for the other’s reaction.

Junmyeon was kidding, of course, but Yixing just nodded like a kid, said a soft ‘okay’ and soon drifted off to sleep.

He soon took off his blue-black suit jacket to use as a make-shift blanket for Yixing and headed to his desk to continue his tasks. He obviously still had a lot to do, judging from the piles of documents he was yet to read and sign. But maybe, he could get a half-day leave like Yixing, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I crammed this chapter one hour before a deadline [for something else; real life pursuits]. Apologies for the mistakes made and missed. Will proof later.


	10. Madlang Pipol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
>   
> **"How mga pare ko anong nangyari dito?"**  
>   
> 

Isa pang hakbang paakyat ng hagdan at naabot na ni Yixing ang pintuan ng bahay sa itaas ng burol. May pa-kidlat pa ang gabi sa likod niya, tinalo ang pa-fireworks ng maliit nilang munisipyo sa probinsya. Subalit kahit gaano ito kasilaw at kalakas, 'di na niya pinansin ang nagngangalit na kalangitan dulot ng 'di niya mawari kung saan nanggaling na pagod na sagad hanggang buto.

‘Tok tok tok’ katok niya sa kahoy na pinto ng bahay habang nagsimula nang umambon. Wala pang isang segundo ay dahan-dahang nagbukas ang mabibigat na pintuan sa harap niya na may paglagitgit pa ng naglulumaang bisagra habang isang pares ng namimilog na mata ang bumati sa kaniya.

“Ano iyon?” tanong ng tao na halos ‘di makita ni Yixing gawa ng dilim at naglalapatang anino.

“Kanina pa po ako nawawala. Kung maaari sanang makituloy nitong gabi o kahit man lamang hanggang tumila ang ulan?”

“'Di ka naman taga-census?” balik ng tao na binuksan pa nang kaunti ang pinto sabay tingin sa likod ni Yixing. “Ikaw lang mag-isa?”

Mabilis na tumango si Yixing, gulat na ang tao ay walang iba kundi ang kaibigan niya si Kyungsoo. Pero bago pa siya makahirit, mabilis siyang sinabihan ng ‘Pasok’ at hinatak sa loob ng bahay. Maaaring imahinasyon niya lamang yung may tumugtog ng theme song ng Okatokat pagkasara ng pinto pero kanina pa niya iniisip na waring ganoon nga yung pakiramdam ng lugar.

“Marami kami sa bahay pero huwag ka sanang magulat. Medyo maingay sila—“ ani ni mukhang-Kyungsoo sa kaniya sabay hatak ng tao sa paa niyang mukhang sinumpong ng arthritis sa lamig. At lalong napansin ni Yixing na mala-Kampanerang Kuba pala ang pormahan ng kamukha ni Kyungsoo. Mangatog na si Anne Curtis.

Mabilis iyong nakalimutan ni Yixing nang nandilim ang paligid at nang nilingon niya yung pinagmulan ng kadiliman, isang napakalaking tao ang nasa kaniyang harapan.

“Ka-kapre…” bulalas ni Yixing na ikinangiti naman ng—malaking tao.

“May nakakakilala pa sakin sa panahong ito? In this economy?” sagot ng—kapre na kamukha ni Chanyeol.

“Ba’t gising ka pa. Maraming magagalit sa ingay mo sa ganitong oras,” sabi ni kampanerang Kyungsoo na nagsimula nang pumanhik sa hagdanan.

Patuloy naman sa paghawak si kapre Chanyeol sa kisame ng bahay at sumagot, “Mukhang lalakas ang ulan. Hinahanap ko lang yung ‘di ko natakpang butas nung nakaraan. Hirap nang ma-Ondoy Part II.”

“Galingan mo diyan. At ikaw,” tumigil si Anne Curtis wannabe at tinignan si Yixing, “sumunod ka sakin. Wala kaming sofa kaya makikitulog ka sa isa sa mga kwarto.” Tumango na lamang si Yixing at sinundan si mukhang Kyungsoo.

Subalit mga nakailang liko na sila ng pasilyo, di pa rin sila nakakaabot sa kwarto na paglalagian ni Yixing.

“Ganito ba kalaki yung bahay ninyo? Andaming kwarto!” sabi niya sabay timpi ng hingal, habang bigla namang napatigil sa kakahatak ng nirarayumang paa yung isa at napatuwid nang kaunti ang baluktot nitong likod.

“Anak ng tikbalang—“ buntunghininga ni mukhang-Kyungsoo at humarap kay Yixing. “Kailangan nating baligtarin suot natin dahil malabong magising ko yung tikbalang na may pakana nito. Hubad, dali.”

“Saglit, 'di ko pa natatanong ‘to dati pero pati brip?” balik ni Yixing na tinatanggal na yung pantalon niya.

“Pati brip,” sagot ni Kyungsoo na nagsimula na ring hubarin ang suot na pantaas. Siguro may magic kasi sa isang kurap lang ni Yixing, nabaligtad na ng kasama niya yung lahat ng suot—baligtad na brip unconfirmed—kaya dali-dali siyang naghubad at nagbaligtad rin ng kasuotan.

Sa isang liko sa bagong pasilyo, may pag-ngiti sa kaniya ang kasama nang siya ay nilingon, binuksan ang isang kwarto at inanyayahan siyang pumasok. Walang masyadong maaninag si Yixing maliban sa kamang may puting sapin na nailawan nang kaunti gawa ng bukas na pinto. May anino ng mesa doon sa gilid, isang aparador, at isang tokador na may salamin malapit sa bintana.

“Dito ka matutulog ngayong gabi. 'Di pa nakakabalik yung kalahating katawan ng pinakamabait sa amin kaya yung pinakamalabong magising ngayong gabi ang makakasama mo.”

“Pinakamalabong magising? Anong klaseng nilalang yun?”

“Malalaman mo bukas kung 'di ka winala ulit ng tikbalang at magising kung saan,” sagot ng fan ni Anne Curtis circa 20** at iniwan na siya sa kwarto, sabay paalala na huwag lalabas hanggang sa mag-umaga para sa kaniyang ikabubuti.

Papunta na diwa niya sa tulog nang biglang marinig niya na nagbukas ang pinto. Mabilis siyang napaupo sa kama at nag-abang ng papasok pero laking gulat niya ng yung aparador yung nagbukas.

“Everybadeeeh… rak—Wait, sino ka?” sigaw ng boses mula sa aparador.

“Duwende ka ba?” tanong ni Yixing, bilang wala siyang ibang maisip na kasama sa bahay na magtatago sa aparador. May yabag sa kahoy na sahig matapos nagsara ang pinto at biglang nasilaw si Yixing sa ilaw mula sa lampara na binuksan ng kasama niya sa kwarto. LED ata ang ilaw. White light eh. Pero 'di pa rin naiwasang magmura ni Yixing nang maaninag sino yung kausap.

“Mukha ba akong duwende?” Nakasimangot na nagtanong yung suspetsadong duwende na kamukha ni Junmyeon.

“Hindi, hindi duwende. Mukha kang kakilala ko!” pagbawi niya. “Kaya nga ako nagtatanong, 'di ba?”

“Oh. Right. Gusto mong hulaan?” tanong nito na may ngiting nakakakilabot para kay Yixing. Na sinubukan namang sagutin ng ngiti ni Yixing sabay ‘no’ pero nilamon ng kaba boses niya nang magsimulang magtanggal ng t-shirt yung hindi duwende na kamukha ni Junmyeon.

“Bakit ka naghuhubad?”

“Nakahubad ka rin sa loob ng kwarto ko?” Sabay turo ni mukhang-Junmyeon sa kaniya at napatingin na lamang si Yixing sa topless niyang estado. “And why are you here?” karugtong na tanong nito.

“Nakikitulog at nagpapatuyo ng naulanang damit. Dinala ako dito ni, ano, yung nirarayuma niyong kasama dahil wala nang ibang pwedeng kwarto iyon lang paumanhin 'di ko alam nasa aparador ka pala e 'di sana nabati kita.”

May pagkunot ng noo yung hindi duwende sabay upo sa dulo ng kama. “Inisip ko peace offering ka ni B.”

“Peace offering?”

“Yep. Bumili siya kasi ng barbecue tapos order ko lang kinalimutan niya. Sabi niya wala na raw nagbebenta ng betamax at walang stock ng dinuguan rice toppers sa Ministop. 'Di lang ako hungry, angry rin. I’ve been hangry! For two days! Ito ba pagpapahirap ng mundo to those who declared they wanna be vegan?”

“Huwaw,” sabi ni Yixing. “Pati ba naman dito?”

“Ha? What do you mean?”

“Wala. Basta 'di ako peace offering,” sagot niya sabay talukbong sa sarili. “Kain ka ng maraming ampalaya. Rich in iron, may uric acid rin kahit papano. Nang mabawasan yang pamumutla mo. If all else fails, Sanggobi*n.”

“'Di ba pwedeng isang kagat lang tapos mga isang lagok ng—“

“Ayaw,” mabilis na tutol ni Yixing. “Ayaw kong kinakagat. Ako nangangagat.”

“Is that your kink?” Napatawa yung isa at lumapit siya lalo kay Yixing. “Interesting.”

Sumabay naman si Yixing ng mabilis na atras papunta sa uluhan ng kama. “Lubayan mo ako anak ni satanas!” sigaw niya nang pinigilan ng sandalan ang likod niya.

“Bampira ako! Siyempre usapang kagatan so… major turn on.” At patuloy na gumapang yung mukhang Junmyeon na bampira papalapit sa kaniya.

“Tinatakot lang kita! Hahaha—taenaaaaa!” bulalas ni Yixing nang mahawakan ng lalaki braso niya at tinangkang kagatin ito. Nakaiwas siya subalit namula at namintig ang pulang guhit dulot ng pangil na sumabit ng isa. “Sabing ayaw! 'Di mo alam yung konsepto ng consent?” Mabilis siyang tumalon papalayo ng kama at lumapit sa pinto.

“Lol!”

“Potaenang lol paalam na diyan ka lang!” At kumaripas na siya ng takbo papalabas, at pilit na kinalimutan ang banta ni kampanerong Kyungsoo sa kaniya.

Iniisip niyang nakalayo na siya matapos ang ilang ulit na pagliko sa sulok ng bahay hanggang sa mamataan na pare-parehong pasilyo yung dinaanan niya. Sumaglit siya para hubarin at baligtarin ang pantalon pati ang brip nang may boses sa likod niya.

“Yum.”

At alam niyang 'di dapat siya lumingon. Title na rin iyon ng isang horror na pelikula bilang paalala at dapat natuto na siya mula kay—surprise surprise—Melissa na si Anne Curtis pa rin ang gumanap. Pero tulad ng isang karakter sa isang lokal na horror film na may katigasan ang ulo, siyempre lumingon pa rin siya kung saan galing ang boses.

At nakita yung bampira na iniiwasan niya na kumikinang sa ilaw ng buwan—hindi—saglit, may mali.

“Bakit ka glow in the dark?” pagtatanong niya.

“Bakit ka shining in the dark? Nice back muscle, by the way.”

“Salamat—Pawis lang ito—Teka, bakit iniiba mo yung topic? Seryoso, bakit ka glow in the dark?”

“Don’t all vampires glow… in the dark?” Nagkibit-balikat ang bampira at humakbang papalapit. “At nangangagat din kami hihi,” ani nito sabay hawak sa magkabilaang braso ni Yixing.

Nanlamig at nangatog na siya sa takot dahil 'di na siya makapalag. At sa tingin pa lang ng bampira ay halos maubusan na siya ng hangin. Shit, inaatake na nga ata siya ng hika kasi biglang ang hirap huminga.

“Don’t worry, ‘di kita sasaktan,” sabi sa kay Yixing habang nakangiti itong nakatingin sa leeg niya.

Iiyak na dapat si Yixing sa takot pero mas kailangan niyang sumigaw sa huling natitirang hangin sa baga niya. Kaya iyon ang ginawa niya, sumigaw. At biglang lalong nagdilim ang mundo. At tumigil kalaunan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minsanan kailangan kong ipaalala sa sarili na pasalamatan pa rin ito na may nagagawa pa rin kahit taranta na sa lahat ng mga nangyayari sa buhay. Mga ilang linggo na ring ganito gawa ng lahat ng ganap di lang sa sarili kundi sa bansa. Pero tuloy pa rin. Laban pa rin. Galaw pa rin. Para sa sarili, para sa marami.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Three chapters written and posted. Consider all the stories featured here done! I do hope most of you who have read them have enjoyed them as well as I enjoyed writing them. I know I have gotten rusty with my writing; I blame my lack of practice due to my focus on academic papers. Still, thanks for reading!


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